Practical Outcome - Idea Generation

After my crit with Amber, I decided to begin to consider the practical outcomes that could visually represent the findings of my essay. I need to create a visual outcome that will represent the relationship between, consumerism and the influence that brands have on consumers. We began to discuss the possibilities: 

Initial ideas:

Tattoo Publication - 
A publication that would investigate into the idea of people who feel the need to get tattoo's that represent a brands identity or logo imagery. This publication would question why people feel the need to do this, as well as what they feel their gaining to their own identity, through the permanent marking that is a tattoo. 
This doesn't always need to directly be the brand logo itself, people take advantage of the monograms that are associated with the brand identities. 

Spoken to some studios in Leeds both said they haven't done any in years and isn't particularly a trend right now, maybe because brands are changing and becoming accessible so therefore people can just always have the brand with them rather than having to get a tattoo of it. 

Questions raised:

• At what point does a brand become such an icon that it seems viable to become a mark of permanent identity?
• What reasoning does an individual have so strong to the imagery associated with the brand that they believe it best represents their own persona?
• By tattooing on a brand surely it is taking away from the exclusivity of that brand, or is it enabling a closer connection to the brand's consumer community? 
• What makes a brand associated with a lifestyle in which you want to portray all the time, you don't see anyone with 'Poundland' tattoos or 'Topshop'.

Chanel

Versace 

Polo Ralph Lauren

Louis Vuitton 

Brand Identity Publication: In response to the burning of the stock by Burberry. 
A publication that gives the control of the target audience back to the brands. The publication would explore the idea of the brands taking control of the audiences they are trying to cultivate in the first place. Through reading into the different brands the publication would tell the consumer what they are telling the world with their visual presentation of their purchases. It would also recommend the places the person buying into that brand may want to eat at, drink at, socialize at, and other purchases they may consider to create that 'lifestyle' they're trying to portray. The book could be annual adapting to the way in which the market adapts, and also the stance in the marketplace of particular brands. This would allow the brands to almost control the way in which their consumer behaves, and therefore the way in which their brand is represented to the public. 

Could be developed into a way to become an influencer for a particular brand/how to endorse the brand properly.

Lifestyle App:
The app would be an interactive lifestyle representation selector. Through a questionnaire/interchangeable profile, a person would be able to select the lifestyle they wish to portray.