Google, Nike And Chanel: What Brand Tattoos Say About Their Owners (PHOTOS)

When Wu Tang Clan rapped about protecting necks in the 1990s, they were talking about one of the body's most vulnerable spots. In movies, it's where vampires bite. In the real world, or the bedroom, it's one of the erogenous zones of the human body. Stare at a neck long enough and you can count someone's heartbeat.

So what does a tattoo of the Coogie logo on one's neck mean? Does it signify possession or ownership, a psychological and physical double branding? Is it a way of conveying value or worth of the individual? This is what we asked ourselves after witnessing brand tattoos on people's necks while walking around NYC.

Tattoos are nothing new, they've been around since man learned how to make tools and since we figured out that symbols can create language. In many cultures around the world, tattoos have been used to identify members of a tribe, used as body modification and as beauty enhancements. They are also a way of stepping back and away from the norm. Ask anyone with a facial tattoo.

Today, even though the techniques have been changed, past uses of tattoos are still in play. The difference is our tribe extends beyond members of our family or clan and include corporate entities like Apple Computers. A tattoo today, in short, is as ordinary as a Fox News attack on President Obama. What's becoming ordinary these days are brand tattoos, permanent fixtures of a corporate identity on a person's skin.

The phenomenon is interesting on several levels. On the one hand, a person with a brand tattoo may seek to demonstrate a devotion to a particular brand or team because they were either paid to do it, lost a bet, are terrible at Truth or Dare or because they are stone cold crazy. What's even crazier is the positioning of the tattoo on the body. Most brand tattoos we've seen are placed on the backs of individuals, like the one above. Don't ask us where, but we certain tattoos on necks are usually reserved for lovers, a sign of possession or ownership by someone's beloved.

Are today's consumers really that devoted to a product? Seems that way.

After the break, we break down what a brand tattoo says about their owners. 

Above: This person's Google tattoo reveals he has a thirst for knowledge.