A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

Marketing With Tattoos

Continuing this discussion of mainstreaming, I’m in 7/11 this morning and they have a new energy drink called “Inked”. It’s got a faux-tribal border, a “rock” font, and a neo-Japanese wave in the middle, and the flavor is called “Razzle Dazzle” — could there be a more embarrassing name? It’s as if they’re making fun of you for buying it. I’m reminded of the scene in Family Guy where Lois is running for mayor, and realizes that just by saying “9-11″ and “Jesus” and “terrorists” Giuliani-style, all of a suddenly the crowd starts cheering and buys whatever she’s saying… What, are tattoo fans so gullible that they’ll buy an energy drink just because it says “cool razzle dazzle tatties” on it?*

inked-drink.jpg

* Yes, I bought it. It tastes like a sort of watered down “Tahiti Treat”.

Comments

134 responses to “Marketing With Tattoos”

  1. meh Avatar
    meh

    hahaha

  2. meh Avatar
    meh

    hahaha

  3. kc! Avatar

    Why does the TV say Feb 7, 2003? Is this some sort of time-travel tattoo blogpost?

  4. kc! Avatar

    Why does the TV say Feb 7, 2003? Is this some sort of time-travel tattoo blogpost?

  5. Kelli Avatar
    Kelli

    I swear to god the TV says 2003.

  6. Kelli Avatar
    Kelli

    I swear to god the TV says 2003.

  7. Rexxi Avatar
    Rexxi

    #21… Hahahaha… that is amazing!!!

  8. Rexxi Avatar
    Rexxi

    #21… Hahahaha… that is amazing!!!

  9. Rexxi Avatar
    Rexxi

    correction #22

  10. Rexxi Avatar
    Rexxi

    correction #22

  11. tim Avatar
    tim

    #22 energy drinks never age well anyway…

  12. tim Avatar
    tim

    #22 energy drinks never age well anyway…

  13. LarrySDonald Avatar
    LarrySDonald

    Energy drinks seem to be the new perfume of marketing. It’s understandable in a way. They’re roughly the same (lots of sugars, some caffeine and a few amino acids), they don’t taste especially good (which isn’t their function anyway) and even if they did you can’t really “show” that they taste good (they’ll look the same as any beverage). You can argue yours is better at energizing, but most users aren’t going to believe you. So how do you sell sugar with caffeine and a few supplements for two bucks a pop (which would buy a lot more of all in the pharmacy isle and the baking isle)? Same as regular pop – hype – but the ante is higher with the higher markup. Therefore you have no choice but to go whole hog and also leave shame at home before coming to work.

  14. LarrySDonald Avatar
    LarrySDonald

    Energy drinks seem to be the new perfume of marketing. It’s understandable in a way. They’re roughly the same (lots of sugars, some caffeine and a few amino acids), they don’t taste especially good (which isn’t their function anyway) and even if they did you can’t really “show” that they taste good (they’ll look the same as any beverage). You can argue yours is better at energizing, but most users aren’t going to believe you. So how do you sell sugar with caffeine and a few supplements for two bucks a pop (which would buy a lot more of all in the pharmacy isle and the baking isle)? Same as regular pop – hype – but the ante is higher with the higher markup. Therefore you have no choice but to go whole hog and also leave shame at home before coming to work.

  15. Jesse Fantastic Avatar
    Jesse Fantastic

    Speaking of the whole mainstream/advertising thing, last week when I was getting my taxes done at a local H&R block they had large poster sized ads on the wall. On one of these ads had a girl with a lip ring. I couldn’t help but think of modblog when I saw it.

  16. Jesse Fantastic Avatar
    Jesse Fantastic

    Speaking of the whole mainstream/advertising thing, last week when I was getting my taxes done at a local H&R block they had large poster sized ads on the wall. On one of these ads had a girl with a lip ring. I couldn’t help but think of modblog when I saw it.

  17. Arch-Typical Avatar
    Arch-Typical

    I wonder if the back of the can has text describing the meaning behind all of the can’s various “tats”

  18. Arch-Typical Avatar
    Arch-Typical

    I wonder if the back of the can has text describing the meaning behind all of the can’s various “tats”

  19. Matt Avatar
    Matt

    I’m so gullible I’ll buy an energy drink just because it says “Energy” on it. Sobe No Fear has crack in it, I swear. I can’t stop drinking them. And they are delicious, in my opinion.

  20. Matt Avatar
    Matt

    I’m so gullible I’ll buy an energy drink just because it says “Energy” on it. Sobe No Fear has crack in it, I swear. I can’t stop drinking them. And they are delicious, in my opinion.

  21. [emo shaman] Avatar
    [emo shaman]

    Things like this make me glad I really did change my major in college..I love graphic design, but I hate marketing..I was told I’d be good in the industry, but it’s too subliminal and too much time inside..I’m already modified visibly, but that’s not stopping me from going into environmental sciences, which is what I wanted to do in the first place..Being outside gives me a reason to be creative in the first place..I’ve got one leg with nothing on it yet, and it’s being saved for a marine biology inspired theme..Abyssal creatures are fun to draw and would be awesome in a tattoo on me. I should include Marlin from Finding Nemo exploding in the abyss, because that’s what would really happen. [I laugh at the people who really were inspired by that movie to study the ocean, cuz they really think it’s true in alot of it..It was inaccurate on purpose!!]

  22. [emo shaman] Avatar
    [emo shaman]

    Things like this make me glad I really did change my major in college..I love graphic design, but I hate marketing..I was told I’d be good in the industry, but it’s too subliminal and too much time inside..I’m already modified visibly, but that’s not stopping me from going into environmental sciences, which is what I wanted to do in the first place..Being outside gives me a reason to be creative in the first place..I’ve got one leg with nothing on it yet, and it’s being saved for a marine biology inspired theme..Abyssal creatures are fun to draw and would be awesome in a tattoo on me. I should include Marlin from Finding Nemo exploding in the abyss, because that’s what would really happen. [I laugh at the people who really were inspired by that movie to study the ocean, cuz they really think it’s true in alot of it..It was inaccurate on purpose!!]

  23. solocard Avatar
    solocard

    As Orange-Film-Funding guy might say; This Razzle-Dazzles my Fantazmagazzle…..

    I don’t get the drink though. The tribal part and the wave, OK. But why call it Inked?!

  24. solocard Avatar
    solocard

    As Orange-Film-Funding guy might say; This Razzle-Dazzles my Fantazmagazzle…..

    I don’t get the drink though. The tribal part and the wave, OK. But why call it Inked?!

  25. TripleHelix Avatar
    TripleHelix

    I keep thinking of Dr. Seuss, from One Fish Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish:

    This one, I think
    Is called a Yink
    It likes to drink and drink and drink
    The thing it likes to drink is Inked
    The Inked it likes to drink is pink
    It likes to wink and drink pink Inked

  26. TripleHelix Avatar
    TripleHelix

    I keep thinking of Dr. Seuss, from One Fish Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish:

    This one, I think
    Is called a Yink
    It likes to drink and drink and drink
    The thing it likes to drink is Inked
    The Inked it likes to drink is pink
    It likes to wink and drink pink Inked

  27. Katie Avatar
    Katie

    Bawls FTW

  28. Katie Avatar
    Katie

    Bawls FTW

  29. & Avatar
    &

    I pretty much adore this post.

  30. & Avatar
    &

    I pretty much adore this post.

  31. SpeakerForTheDead Avatar
    SpeakerForTheDead

    haha my favorite is the “maori” one haha hell, i bought em cuz they were cheap and buy one get one. i usually ignore labels(especially ingrediants, they confuse me)

  32. SpeakerForTheDead Avatar
    SpeakerForTheDead

    haha my favorite is the “maori” one haha hell, i bought em cuz they were cheap and buy one get one. i usually ignore labels(especially ingrediants, they confuse me)

  33. TerdBurgerler Avatar
    TerdBurgerler

    BOOOOO CORPRATE AMERICA!!!!

  34. TerdBurgerler Avatar
    TerdBurgerler

    BOOOOO CORPRATE AMERICA!!!!

  35. pissdrippingfurburger Avatar

    Hahahahaha. I’ve seen that drink awhile ago. Yeah I tried it too. I did not like it. I’m a Sobe Adrenaline Rush grrrl. Or Amped. Yeah 🙂

  36. pissdrippingfurburger Avatar

    Hahahahaha. I’ve seen that drink awhile ago. Yeah I tried it too. I did not like it. I’m a Sobe Adrenaline Rush grrrl. Or Amped. Yeah 🙂

  37. Martin Avatar
    Martin

    I would imagine the target demographics would not be “people with tattoos”, but “people with _flash_ tattoos”. (And by which I mean to discriminate with a vile vitrolic attitude between the custom work of a small tattoo parlour artisan and the generic flash stamp of a shopping center store that happens to perform something akin to tattooing on even days.) The drink manufacturer might not know the difference, but of course we do.

  38. Martin Avatar
    Martin

    I would imagine the target demographics would not be “people with tattoos”, but “people with _flash_ tattoos”. (And by which I mean to discriminate with a vile vitrolic attitude between the custom work of a small tattoo parlour artisan and the generic flash stamp of a shopping center store that happens to perform something akin to tattooing on even days.) The drink manufacturer might not know the difference, but of course we do.

  39. MR.C Avatar
    MR.C

    ISNT IT CALLED TAHITIAN TREAT???

  40. MR.C Avatar
    MR.C

    ISNT IT CALLED TAHITIAN TREAT???

  41. Graley Avatar

    #8 – Where I come from, Relentless is know as ‘Greebo Juice’ ;D

    And the wave bit looks OK…
    The rest… not so sure…

  42. Graley Avatar

    #8 – Where I come from, Relentless is know as ‘Greebo Juice’ ;D

    And the wave bit looks OK…
    The rest… not so sure…

  43. phyck Avatar
    phyck

    hey im not sure but didnt this go up has a post a while back ago ? ( i could be loosing it )

  44. phyck Avatar
    phyck

    hey im not sure but didnt this go up has a post a while back ago ? ( i could be loosing it )

  45. Deathblossom Avatar

    Tahiti Treat! OMG I used to buy that along with O’Ryan’s chips when I was younger. How I miss these!

  46. Deathblossom Avatar

    Tahiti Treat! OMG I used to buy that along with O’Ryan’s chips when I was younger. How I miss these!

  47. Deathblossom Avatar

    Mr.C: I live in Canada and I distinctly remember it being called Tahiti Treat…so Tahitian Treat may have been the US name, but I could be wrong.

  48. Deathblossom Avatar

    Mr.C: I live in Canada and I distinctly remember it being called Tahiti Treat…so Tahitian Treat may have been the US name, but I could be wrong.

  49. xDEVIANT Avatar
    xDEVIANT

    I bought this like 3 months ago because it was buy one get one.. and still cheap..

    It was disgusting.. so I didn’t drink the free one and bought my beloved Rockstar instead 🙂

  50. xDEVIANT Avatar
    xDEVIANT

    I bought this like 3 months ago because it was buy one get one.. and still cheap..

    It was disgusting.. so I didn’t drink the free one and bought my beloved Rockstar instead 🙂

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