Temporary tattoos are a clever and original, low-cost marketing tool. More and more brands are now using them because they’re interactive, wearable and surprisingly memorable. What other marketing tool can have a potential customer look in the mirror the next day and still see your brand!
Temporary tattoos manage to hit a sweet spot: they’re relatively cheap, customisable, interactive and highly visible. More importantly, they invite participation – turning passive audiences into active promoters. Here are some effective ways your company could turn temporary tattoos into an effective marketing solution:
1. Event Giveaways
At festivals, product launches or trade shows, brands can hand out temporary tattoos as a free gift. Unlike flyers that get thrown away, tattoos end up on the skin – turning attendees into walking ads for hours or even days. Companies like Red Bull, BMW and Nike have used them at high-energy events where visibility matters. Fans of the brand will easily wear them and this creates a buzz for others to want the same too.
We’ve created one such campaign for BMW at Goodwood Festival of Speed for the last 2 years running, which was such a great success that they ran out of tattoos mid-festival both times, having to call us up to deliver more! View the Instagram video here >
2. A Social Media Campaign
Brands can encourage users to apply tattoos and share photos or videos online using a hashtag. This would create user-generated content and extend reach organically. A beauty brand, for example, might launch a challenge featuring branded designs, similar to how luxury makeup brand Glossier builds community-driven buzz.
We did a similar concept for the clothing brand Goodgenes, you can see the post here >.
3. Product Packaging Inserts
You could include temporary tattoos inside product packaging as a surprise bonus to customers. It adds perceived value and creates a playful brand interaction. Snack foods and lifestyle brands often do this – think of something you’d expect from Urban Outfitters collaborations or limited-edition drops.
For instance, we’ve created 20,000 tattoos for George Clooney’s tequila brand – Casamigos – where they were distributed around the world with his drinks. We have also produced tattoos for Zambrero and Coach, as A6 flyers to give away with food orders for Zambrero and along with handbag purchases for Coach – both in store to help create more brand appeal.
4. Cause Marketing and Awareness Campaigns
Temporary tattoos can symbolise support for a cause – like a ribbon, slogan or icon. Non-profits and brands use them to spark conversations and raise awareness. For example, during health campaigns tied to organisations like Movember Foundation, wearable symbols help spread the message in a visible way.
We’ve supplied temporary tattoos to various Gyms around the UK competing in sporting events, like marathons, Hyrox competitions or Tough Mudder where the tattoos show up really well on professional shots and are seen by other competitors too.
5. Influencer and Street Team Activation
A brand could distribute tattoos to influencers or street teams who wear them in public or in content. This creates subtle, lifestyle-based promotion rather than obvious ads. Fashion and youth-focused brands use this approach to maintain authenticity.
6. Limited-Edition Collectibles or Scarcity Marketing
Brands can release exclusive or seasonal tattoo designs that people want to collect – especially if they’re tied to a campaign, collaboration or event. This taps into the psychology of scarcity and FOMO. For example, a collaboration drop from a brand like Adidas or Coca-Cola could include a set of unique tattoo designs that are only available for a short time.
We have created such work for actual artists work, so they could showcase their talents and get fans to be able to wear a real piece of loved art on their skin!
At Test My Tattoo we have no minimum order requirements and can work with multiple designs so can produce tattoos in small batches, to let you run brand experiments with “limited runs” without huge costs – whilst encouraging repeat engagement from fans trying to get every design.
