I normally don't pay attention to animated banner ads on the internet sites I visit but this one caught my eye. It showed a flexed arm, with a tattoo machine moving in space without anyone holding it, tattooing the bicep. The message it was tattooing was about housing mortgage rates.
If you ever wondered if there was a clear sign that tattooing was firmly established as part of the mainstream, there you go, that's it! Tattooing is so well-known and so popular to the main demographic that mortgage companies are courting to get as customers, they are using tattoos to sell house loans, two things that would otherwise be utterly unconnected. Since owning a house has always been considered pretty cool, you can now presume that they aren't the offensive sign of the criminal element that they once were.
Actually tattoos are being used heavily to advertise otherwise up-market goods to the main buying demographic and the generation that's just behind that one. Another good internet sign of this trend is current Cadillac car ad running on many web sites that features +44 drummer Travis Barker. In his early 30s, he's a top musician and celebrity personality. He's richer than most folks his own age and he owns a whole stable of Cadillacs. He's also almost entirely covered in tattoos. The largest blank spot on his body is his face. People with that much money don't usually have that many tattoos, and folks with that many tattoos don't usually buy Cadillacs, but someone in marketing figured it would be a hip new way to cross the two markets and make it clear that to be über-cool, you have to be both tattooed and own a Cadillac.
Cigarette companies have had their ability to advertise heavily curtailed in recent years. Some recent Camel cigarette ads I've seen are drawn to look like tattoo flash. This plays directly to images that are heavily popular with the 18-35 demographic, when by default makes them popular to the under 18 demographic. As teenagers crave everything that is just out of their legal reach, ads that pitch to the 20-somethings have incredible appeal to teens built into them, to make sure there is brand awareness in that market. Undoubtedly, these tattoo cigarette ads are being noticed and having an effect on the underage market.
The same might be said for the branding of Captain Morgan rum with a "tattoo" variation flavor. Rum isn't necessarily a first choice for young people, but the ability of rum to mix well and it's sugary taste makes it prime as something to get younger drinkers who are usually used to beer into mixed cocktails. Since shots and mixed drinks bring in a higher profit at bars, pushing them via campaigns designed to make subtle variations seem "in" and "cool" is really the goal of adding tattoos or tattoo-branding to products
