Annual Nicholas Weston "Tattooed Brands" Global Survey 2009 Results
The first annual Nicholas Weston "Tattooed Brands" Global Survey was conducted during May 2009 with 20 tattoo businesses in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia surveyed using a telephone interview questionnaire. Conducted by Australian law firm and trade marks attorneys Nicholas Weston, the survey asked tattooists whether they had ever tattooed a registered trade marked brand or logo onto someone's body and if so, which ones are popular, what age groups get them and whether the recipient was drunk or affected by drugs at the time.
Surveys are typically conducted as an important tool to find out what is vital to the community, and where to prioritise spending or effort. In this case, the survey is motivated by an inordinate interest in the self-mutilation of others combined with a gratuitous exercise in self-promotion, sorry, law firm marketing. Nicholas Weston is pleased to share its findings in the annual survey with the global community.
The highlights from the 2009 Survey are summarised below.
Top Twenty Trade Marks Tattooed onto People (Ranked from Most Popular to Least Popular):
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1. Harley Davidson 2. Nike 3. AFL (Australian Rules) club logos 4. Vegemite 5. VB 6. Disney characters (various) 7. Holden 8. Ford 9. Fox/Alpinestars (motorcross) 10. Triple J (radio) |
11. Louis Vuitton 12. Chanel 13. Playboy 14. Coca-Cola 15. Jack Daniels 16. Jim Beam 17. Mountain Dew 18. Qantas 19. Triumph (motorcycles) 20. Gibson/ Fender |
Summary of 2009 Survey Results
Of those receiving a tattoo, only around 2 – 5% receive a brand tattoo, and predominantly in the 18 – 25 age group. In every case, the brand tattoo was requested by the recipient rather than suggested by the tattooist. Tattooists also said that brand tattoos were obtained on impulse in some cases and as a carefully considered choice in others. Opinion among tattooists was divided on whether the choice of brand- tattoo reflected its culturally iconic status or the recipient's faith in the brand. One tattooist opined that "it is a humour thing." One tattooee received payment to have toilet rolls of a certain brand inked onto his backside but otherwise the overwhelming majority were not paid to become human billboards. All of those surveyed denied that any recipients of a brand tattoo were visibly drunk or affected by drugs at the time.
A copy of the questionnaire is located here. The next annual survey will be conducted in May 2013 and the results should be available in October 2026. We have already started drinking heavily in anticipation.
So what?
Most well known brands and logos are registered trade marks. Use of a registered trade mark as a tattoo is generally not “use as a trade mark” by using the sign in the course of trade for the purposes of s 120 of the Trade Marks Act 1995 (Cth).
However, for those of you keen on things Biblical, the pagan custom of tattooing symbols on human flesh is verboten by G_d: "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD": Leviticus 19:28. Brand worshippers and trade marks idolaters may be answering to a higher authority in due course (and they will be easy for Him to spot).
About Nicholas Weston
Founded in 2005, Nicholas Weston is ranked two years running (2008 and 2009) by Managing Intellectual Property Magazine’s World Survey for 'Trade Mark Prosecution' and 'Trade Mark Contentious'. The firm claims practical implementation of thought leadership. Nicholas Weston serves the creative and technology sectors and sectors being transformed by technology.
For more information contact:
Nicholas Weston Lawyers & Trade Marks Attorneys
Ground Floor, 156 Collins Street, Melbourne Vic 3000 Australia
T: (+ 61) 1300 132 551
