Tramp Stamp Rampage

Wouldn't it be nice if you could try out a tattoo design before getting it permanently inked into your skin? Dermagraphic, a New Zealand tattoo studio, provided a very narrow opportunity to do just that with this guerrilla campaign. Stickers featuring generic "tribal"-type tattoos were strategically placed on wall mirrors in public restrooms and in the changing rooms of apparel shops.

Ideally, the curious consumer would line up his or her body so that the tattoo made sense and be inspired to have the real thing done, but the logical flaws in the execution of this promotion are numerous. Most people seeking tattoos are looking for something, if not unique, at least more unusual than the meaningless squigglies shown here. Though the decal below the mirror-tattoo does offer a website address and the tagline "Try before you buy," there's no clear indication of how exactly a customer is supposed to be able to try before buying. The most the average consumer will get out of this campaign is a misplaced tramp stamp on their face while they're washing their hands, which--while funny--is probably not what Dermagraphic was going for.