Want A Blasting Berry Tattoo With That Fruit Roll-Up?
(CBS/AP) What does Angelina Jolie have in common with Joseph Stalin and Thomas Edison, as well as with two out of every five Americans between the ages of 26 and 40?
They all have tattoos.
Once seen as a silent cry of rebellion, tattoos now possess a status so firmly mainstream that advertisers are using them to market everything from tires and shoes to wine and energy drinks.
That has its downside, though. The more acceptable tattoos become, the more they lose their edginess, and their value as advertising.
"There is always an element of rebellion or rite of passage with these things," said David Crockett, assistant professor of marketing at the University of South Carolina. "What makes them interesting is how the marketplace appropriates that rebelliousness and serves that back to you in the form of an energy drink."
The 7-Eleven convenience store chain recently started selling an energy drink called Inked, aimed at people who either have tattoos or who want to think of themselves as the tattoo type. The company plans to market the drink at motorcycle rallies and tattoo conventions.
"We wanted to create a drink that appealed to men and women, and the tattoo culture has really become popular with both genders," said 7-Eleven's manager of non-carbonated beverages, Michele Little. "The rite of tattoo passage isn't only limited to the young, but also to those who think and act young," she said.
As the attention of young consumers gets spread between TV, blogs, online video and other distractions, marketers have resorted to alternative methods to get their interest.
Marketers use tattoos both as a cultural icon and as the method to deliver the message, said Kevin Lane Keller, a marketing professor at the Tuck business school at Dartmouth College. "It's an attempt to do something different in a fresh way," he said.
On a never-ending quest to appeal to the young and young-minded, companies from Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. to Volvo are using tattoos in advertising and promotion. Even wine sellers have adopted the tattoo, with managers of the popular Yellow Tail brand sending out 600,000 temporary tattoos with an October issue of the New Yorker magazine, and wine importer Billington Wines taking the name Big Tattoo Wines for its $10 a bottle brand.
For three years, Goodyear's Dunlop tire unit has offered a set of free tires to anyone who will get the company's flying-D logo tattooed somewhere on their body, and 98 people have taken up the offer. Some of them are brand loyalists who already own Dunlop tires, while others were tattoo fans who wanted to add to their body art, said Dunlop brand marketing manager Janice Consolacion.
One returned for his third Dunlop tattoo this year.
For those friendly to the idea of being a walking billboard, the Web site Leaseyourbody.com connects advertisers with people who want to be paid for sporting tattoo advertisements.
Volvo recently utilized tattoos in another way, by creating a fictional character whose tattoos spelled out the coordinates of an undersea location of $50,000 in gold coins and the keys to a new car. Linda Gangeri, national advertising manager of Volvo Cars of North America, said the tattoo man was a way to get people to think differently about the Volvo brand.
Tattoos are becoming so pervasive that some see them as less effective in marketing to trendsetters.
Nathan Lin, a tattoo artist and organizer of the annual Boston Tattoo Convention, said the event's sponsors reflect the shifting demographics of tattoo culture in the U.S. This year, it was Toyota Motor Corp.'s Scion brand and Anheuser Busch Cos.' Budweiser. Next year's convention has gotten sponsorship interest from Internet service provider NetZero among other corporate names, he said. "It puts it far outside the stereotypes of bikers and rough types," Lin said. "People think of urban moms having tattoos."
A study done last year by the Pew Research Center shows that 36 percent of 18- to 25-year-olds have at least one tattoo, while 40 percent of 26- to 40-year-olds have at least one.
Once corporations started using tattoos, it was clear they have lost some of their edginess, Crockett said. "You've got this constant game of cat and mouse, of youth culture and these companies. That lifecycle just gets shorter and shorter and shorter," he said.
General Mills has been selling Fruit Roll-Ups with tattoo-shaped cutouts that let children make temporary tongue tattoos. Shoe maker Nike Inc. has employed celebrity tattoo artist Mister Cartoon to design six lines of limited-edition shoes. And just this month, the glass and crystal seller Steuben Glass announced it would sell tattoo-inspired vase and crystal sculpture designs by artist Kiki
Smith.
"I would certainly say it has lost most of its social stigma," said Vince Hemingson, a writer and documentary filmmaker who runs the Vanishing Tattoo Web site. The American stereotype of tattoos being for sailors is passe, he said.
American consumers watched as rock stars of the 1980s got tattoos. Their supermodel girlfriends followed, and that, Hemingson said, made tattoos visible on the women who are seen by many as icons of beauty.
That led to the proliferation of tattoos, as seen in Pew's survey results.
Underscoring the trend, corporate lawyer David Kimelberg in April published a book, "INKED Inc., Tattooed Professionals," that features photos of doctors, lawyers and other executives, first in their normal work clothes then dressed so their large-scale tattoos can be seen. Kimelberg, who lives and works in Boston, said the book shows how tattoos are gaining popularity in corporate America.
Noting the shifting trends, he writes: "The rest of the world is finally catching up to us."
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Tattoos Lose Their Cool
Guinness Awards Record for Most Expensive Perfume
New York - A rose is a rose, and a perfume is a perfume, right? Well, not if it's the "World's Most Expensive Perfume." Clive Christian No. 1 was awarded the Guinness World Record for being the most expensive perfume on Saturday, Dec. 8, at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York.
Composed of the rarest ingredients in the world with no regard to their cost, No. 1, which has been produced by Clive Christian for the past six years, retails for $2,350 for 30ml of the pure perfume. Only 1000 bottles each of the men's and women's perfumes are released each year.
The single most expensive bottle of the Clive Christian perfume, the No. 1 Imperial Majesty bottle made of Baccarat Crystal and inset with a white diamond on the neck, was on display Saturday as well at Saks. Valued at over $200,000, only 10 bottles were ever produced.
Fans of No. 1 include Sir Elton John, who used the scent to perfume the gardens at his White Tie and Tiara Ball and Katie Holmes, who wore it on her wedding day for her marriage to Tom Cruise.
Clive Christian flew in from London to receive the official award from Guinness World Records. When his company acquired the Crown Perfumery in 1999, the British perfume company originally established in 1872 granted the crown of excellence by Queen Victoria, he set out to revive the company's history of luxury by creating the most exquisite perfumes, though he said they never set out to break the world record.
"The brief that was given to them for No. 1 was that they had to produce the best possible perfume that was known to mankind, and they were to ignore all costs and buy whatever they considered would produce the best results, even taking into account that it might not be sustainable," said Christian. "In other words, next year, we may not be able to do it. Nobody has ever done that. No. 1 does change, year by year."
"The by-product of that is that it became ridiculously expensive to actually produce that," continued Christian. "We didn't expect it to be as well-received as it has been, which goes to show that if you produce something so well, the world will respond well to it."
Christian said the two ingredients in particular make this perfume so expensive. Natural aged sandalwood from India, for example, which is so prized it is regulated by the Indian government, is an ingredient in No. 1.
Tahitian vanilla is another, which Christian explained goes through a labor-intensive process to procure.
"The vanilla pods ferment, and then tiny crystals form on the outside of the pod, and we actually reap the perfume of the vanilla, from those crystals - not actually from the pods," said Christian.
Though Christian may be the man behind the world's most lavish scent, one of his favorite scents doesn't hail from an exotic locale or rare flower, though you might be hard-pressed to find such a smell today.
"A great smell and sensation was when I was a child," said Christian. "They used to have over a railway line, those metal bridges that you don't have any more. And when they had a steam train, if you stood, directly above it, as the steam train went through it, you were covered in steam, so it was quite an experience. You had the smell of the steam, and of the carbon, and the different goings on, and that was a powerful, energetic smell."
"So get a steam train, stand underneath it, and it will curl your hair!"
Promising Approach To A More Effective Sunscreen
ScienceDaily (Dec. 5, 2007) — Chronic exposure to the sun increases the risk of an individual developing skin cancer because UV light from the sun can cause genetic mutations that enable cells in the skin to grow in an uncontrolled manner.
Hope for a new sunscreen that can prevent and treat UV light--induced skin cancers has been provided by a new study in a mouse model of the disease by Mohammad Athar and colleagues at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York.Mutations in the p53 gene that result in the production of mutant forms of p53 protein unable to do their job are associated with cancer in various tissues in mice and humans. An agent known as CP-31398 has previously been shown to bind mutant forms of p53 and restore their function.
In the study, applying CP-31398 to the skin of mice reduced skin cancer (in terms of the size and number of tumors) induced by exposure to UVB light. In addition, treating mice already carrying UVB light--induced skin cancers with CP-31398 reduced tumor growth and volume.
These effects were associated with increased p53 function. The clinical relevance of these observations was highlighted by the demonstration that CP-31398 increased p53 function in a human skin cancer cell line expressing a mutant form of p53.
However, as Wafik S. El-Deiry from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, notes in his accompanying commentary, this study raises a number of questions that need to be addressed before these promising findings lead to new sunscreens for the prevention and treatment of UV light--induced skin cancer.
The article "CP-31398 restores mutant p53 tumor suppressor function and inhibits UVB-induced skin carcinogenesis in mice" is published in the December 3 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Adapted from materials provided by Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Gift Idea: The Gentlemens Refinery Standard Shave System Gift Box
Begin and end with The Gentlemens Refinery, "The Standard" shave system.
Our Gift Box includes:
Pre Shave Oil, Shave Cream, After Shave Balm, Moisturizer and Eye Gel. Presented in a sleek black faux leather gifit box.
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GoSMILE Go All Out Starter Kit with Advanced Formula B1
What it is formulated to do:
-Whiten your smile with GoSMILE Advanced Formula B1 (contains 14 B1 ampoules and a chic refillable silver compact).
-Brush and make your smile sparkle with GoSMILE AM/PM Whitening Protection Fluoride Toothpastes in a travel duo set.
-Touch up to keep your smile white and erase any new stains before they set. It's a stain-erasing mini brush and breath freshener in one. Try it after drinking coffee, tea, red wine or smoking. You'll love the taste and see the difference right away.
What else you need to know:
Fortified with fluoride to prevent decay and strengthen tooth enamel, AM/PM Toothpastes and their aromatherapy benefits make brushing such a blissful sensory experience that you'll want to brush longer; which is just what the doctor ordered! Lively essential oils of lemon, lime, orange, and mandarin make AM a natural morning rush and soothing essential oils of chamomile and lavender, valerian root, and delicious vanilla make PM the ideal relaxing night time therapy.
Clinical Testing/Results:
GoSMILE Aadvanced Formula B1 is clinically proven to whiten your smile 4-10 shades in seven days, depending on your starting shade.*Due to the size of this product, we are unable to offer holiday packaging, however a gift message can be included with your delivery.
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nono no!no!
What it does:Achieve hair density reduction at home, with no mess, no cuts, no burns, and no noise. No!no! is based on an exciting new technology called Thermicon™, which uses the scientific principles of thermal transference to conduct a gentle pulse of heat to the hair. It features a unique innovation: a thermodynamic wire to transmit the heat to the hair. This patented wire and built-in safety mechanisms has allowed for the adaptation of professional hair removal technology into a home use product.
What else you need to know:With a no!no! treatment there's no pain, you don't have to wait for hair to grow long in order to remove it, and there is no skin irritation like in-grown hairs, red pimples, or rashes to cover up. Remember no!no! is a treatment process for hair reduction and not a miracle cure for unwanted hair. Like any professional hair treatment, it takes time and dedication to achieve your desired results. The same holds true for the revolutionary no!no! hair removal system; with all the right moves, stubble-free, super smooth skin will be yours. Be sure to follow the directions closely for the safest, most effective results. No!no! is not recommended for use on the face. Additionally, the thermal heat signal destroys the hair, which is characterized by odor. Use the buffer to remove residue and maximize smoothness, then shower or bathe and follow with body moisturizer.Everything you need to get started with no!no! is here: 3 short blades, 2 long blades, a storage bag, small brush to clean the no!no! device, a charger, and one buffer.
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Beauty Gift Idea: Too Faced The Jewelry Box
What else you need to know:The Jewelry Box holds a glamour girls most treasured possessions. It's filled to the brim with eight sophisticated eyeshadows, six lip glosses, and a blush. It's busting at the seams with a duo bronzer, foundation powder, brow powder, and eyeliner cake. Top it off with Too Faced's best-selling shimmering face illuminator "lust after glow" that illuminates the skin like a ten-carat solitaire!
Box includes 0.21 oz Eye Shadows in Dirt Bag (chocolate with golden sparkle), Oscar (golden frost), Temper Temper (deep merlot), Steel Magnolia (pink shommer) Vixen (midnight navy metallic), Pearl Necklace (white pearl), 0.19 oz Diamond Edition Exclusive Lip Gloss (rose petal pink), 0.19 oz Glamour Gloss in Love Bites (plum shimmer), 0.19 oz Juicy Jewels- Love Lisa (bright coral-pink shimmer), 0.19 oz Juicy Jewels- Diamond Drenched (champagne shimmer), 0.19 oz Diamond Edition Exclusive (pink shimmer), 0.19 oz Diamond Edition Exclusive (magenta pink), 0.19 oz Blush in Whose Your Daddy (rich rose and pink shimmer) and Lust To Love (rich bronze and golden bronze), 0.11 oz Absolutley Flawless Powder- 1 Karat and 3 Karat (two shades of warm beige), and a 0.11 oz Sunny Bunny Bronzer, plus a double-ended brush.
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Essential Beauty-to-Go
Get ready for the holiday! Don't forget to gear up your beauty bag with these essential items to-go!
GoSMILE Touch Up Mini On-The-Go Smile Refresher
Five multipurpose smile solution ampoules that let you touch up and refresh your smile, on the go. What it is formulated to do:
-Keeps your smile white.
-Instantly erases food and drink stains before they set.
-Polishes teeth, leaving them shiny and white.
-Promotes good oral hygiene.
What else you need to know:
-Enlivens your senses and is especially beneficial if you drink coffee, tea, red wine, dark sodas, or if you smoke.
Sephora Brand Pop-Up Travel Brush - Signature Black & Red
Sephora Brand Face & Eye Travel Tool Kit
Set includes a powder/blush brush, eyeshadow blending brush, eyeshadow smudge brush, eyeshadow crease brush, and an angled brow/liner brush.
Bliss Tried + Blue Travel Kit
What it does:The Bliss Tried + Blue travel kit is chock full of ocean-inspired products: An exfoliating gel facial cleanser, a body wash with hydrating vitamins and marine extracts, an ocean-scented body lotion, a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner that cleanses, detangles, and de-stresses tresses and scalp with marine extracts, antioxidants, vitamins, aloe, and mini verveine-scented bar soap.
What else you need to know:The travel kit includes a 1 oz each size of our Fabulous Foaming Face Wash, Tried + Blue Body Wash, Tried + Blue Body Lotion, Tried + Blue All-in-one Shampoo + Conditioner, and a miniature size Big Blue Bar bundled in an airport-friendly travel pouch. Inspired by our first-ever products-Super Slough Scrub and Big Blue Bar-these sea-sourced essentials are the official in-room amenities of the new Aloft Hotels.
Too Faced Glamour to Go
What else you need to know:This total beauty binge is packed solid with six glimmering, glassy glosses and four shimmering, silky shadows in shades of pearly pinks to sugary caramels to ensure you're threateningly perfect ... even on the go!
Every jet-setting glamorina's best friend!
Shades include four 0.13 oz eyeshadows in rose sheen, golden bronze shimmer, champagne shimmer, and gold shimmer and six 0.11 oz lip glosses in champagne shimmer, gold shimmer, chocolate-rose shimmer, pink shimmer, golden pink shimmer, and rose-plum shimmer, plus a lip brush and eye applicator.
Beauty to Go: Philosophy Amazing Grace To Go
Amazing Grace fragrance for women is an uniquely feminine blend of soft, floral blossoms accented by a hint of light musk.Indulge yourself - and those you are most thankful for - with good-for-your-body-and-soul treats from Philosophy's Amazing Grace Collection.Experience the Philosophy Amazing Grace Bath and Body Collection
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Bare Escentuals Get Started Eyes
A seven-piece eye defining and lining collection takes the guesswork out of getting started with 100% pure bareMinerals eye colors and explains to you in simple steps how to achieve effortless eye looks in seconds.
What else you need to know: With Get Started Eyes, you'll discover how bareMinerals shades apply and blend so seamlessly. Experience all of the same healthy benefits of our award-winning foundation with revolutionary eye beauty that gives you rich and radiant eye color with no preservatives and zero irritants. Plus, we'll lead you each step of the way with our how-to guide.
Collection includes:
3 x .02 oz bareMinerals Eyeshadows Vanilla Sugar (creamy beige), Peach Puff (lush peach), Soft Focus Explore (soft brown), and a .01 oz bareMinerals Liner Shadow in Fashionista (chocolate raisin), plus a Contour Shadow Brush, Eye Defining Brush and an Eyeliner Brush.
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