According to Ford research, nearly four out of every 10 members of the “Millennial” generation have tattoos, as do some 32 percent of all Baby Boomers. It’s an obvious sign that body art has become an important means of self-expression today, and here’s another: The Blue Oval is taking this trend to the next level by developing custom-look vinyl “tattoos” for the all-new 2012 Ford Focus.
“The one-size-fits-all model isn’t really relevant to today’s consumers, and it’s not necessarily a desire to stand out from the crowd. It’s more of a desire not to be lost in the masses,” said Sheryl Connelly, manager of Global Trends and Futuring. “People are personalizing everything—cell phones, computers and clothing—and it’s no different with automobiles.”
For Ford, that means offering more than 200 vinyl-wrap tattoos in a wide variety of styles, including geometrical patterns, racing stripes, and funky swirls and waves, with prices ranging from $120 to $470. It just takes a quick visit to FordCustomGraphics.com to get started, too. The site lets visitors pick out different designs and see how they look on the Focus, then order them for professional installation at local dealerships. The graphics are made from an innovative film developed by 3M, are easy to remove and even carry a three-year/36,000-mile warranty.
“Another important benefit is that the tattoos are made to order. We don’t manufacture any graphics until they are purchased,” said Tom Stemple, the CEO of Original Wraps Inc., the company that makes the tattoos. “That gives us the flexibility to keep updating the designs to give customers fresh new ideas to choose from.”
Likewise, Ford keeps updating the number of tattoo-able vehicles that customers can choose from. In addition to the Focus, Ford custom graphics are available for the Mustang, F-150, and all-new Explorer and Fiesta, with the Taurus soon to be added to the roster.
They say art is in the eye of the beholder—and now, thanks to Ford, it’s on the beholder’s car, too.
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