It seems that temporary tattoos have been around for forever. They've been around for so long that their primary use has shifted. Before, they were used by kids as a form of entertainment and "pretend" skin art. Kids naturally want to have fun and wearing fake tattoos are fun for them. In fact, they're even fun for adults. Kids were crazy over them back then even with the limited designs.
No one really knows for sure how, when and why they started. But somewhere along the history of temporary tattoos, the main purpose has shifted from being a fun form of skin art to being a popular "go to move" of event organizers. Continue reading to know more about the short but colorful history of fake tattoos.
Cracker Jacks
Some accounts are reporting that sometime in the late 1800s, there were some bubble gums that included temporary tattoos as a form of prize. However, no one can really point to the origin. While it's true that no one can really claim for sure as being the grandfather of temporary tattoos, Cracker Jacks can safely make the claim that they had their version around the 1900s. Obviously, the fake tattoos before were way different that the ones today. Food coloring was used which is very different to the usual vegetable dye used today. As a result, they were easily erased and wouldn't even last one day.
But on the plus side, application was very easy. In fact, it was too easy that even spit was used to apply it from the paper to the skin. There's also no need to purchase them because of the promise of Cracker Jacks that there's a "prize in every box".
Temporary tattoos through the decades
Sure enough, people were hooked with fake tattoos. This is because a lot of companies and groups caught on. They weren't just prizes in every box anymore. They were much more than that. Companies started using them to market their teams, shows, groups and the likes. This is especially true with companies that target kids. This is why TV shows like The Bionic Women, Smurf and a few others used temporary tattoos as a promotional tool. In the 1970's, Topps used baseball cards and baseball tattoos to market their gums.
Scratch and sniff
In the 1980's fake tattoos showed their versatility when 3M introduced the "Scratch and Sniff" tattoos. These had special coatings that emit a special fragrance when scratched. However, the company didn't improve on the designs and this is why it failed to be a huge hit.
Dandy Novelty
The Dandy Novelty Company recognized that simply improving upon the designs will change a lot of things. This is why they partnered with Ole Hansen - a famous tattooist located in Denmark. Still in the 1980's, they released a new set of designs patterned after real tattoos.
Hollywood
Hollywood took notice of the potentials of the much-improved designs of the temporary tattoos. 3M learned their lesson and they jumped in at the opportunity by providing a more efficient application process. This was when the translucent film was first used. Actors started wearing fake tattoos to better portray their characters.
Today
Nowadays, temporary tattoos are still widely used. There are now companies that specialize in making them using a much-better technology and knowledge. They're now popularly used to raise team spirit or awareness at events. They're completely customizable for your purposes.