Brand Loyalty to Brand Idolation

I admit it. I'm an Apple fan boy. At our house we have three iPods, a Mac Pro, PowerBook G4 and eventually iPhones.

While I'm a brand loyalist to Apple (and Fender guitars, Jeep, google, etc.) some people take their loyalty to the extreme by wearing their brand on their sleeve (or arm, head, chest, forearm, etc.).

...And there are more! Check out the entire gallery here

Brands are very strong identifiers for people who associate themselves with them. As PR and marketing professionals we assist brands to reach their audiences and in many cases they become part of our culture. Something many people can't live without.

My friend Scott Perez-Fox summed it up best:

While the social remarkability of tattoos has been massively diminished over the years, the fact that so many folks are willing to go under the needle for a corporate brand still speaks volumes as to the strength of that brand, and of brands in general. When a brand so consistently and repeatedly connects with a population, the results is the creation of a powerful tribe. In the best case scenario, this tribe will promote and recruit new members, if not consumers. But in the worst case, some poor sap is stuck with the tattoo of a defunct or least disgraced, once-mighty brand.

Am I going to get inked with an Apple logo? Highly unlikely but to some people who take brand loyalty to brand idolation it makes sense.

Comments

[Andrew]

Very cool post, Shawn. I'm loving the Wendy's tattoo!

[Shawn Murphy]

That is a cool one!

I like the Jagermeister tattoo. It looks like it has a 3D effect.