What would your price be for a permanent tattoo?
For some people in Austria it means free travel on public transport for a year, as seen in a controversial campaign for the country’s ‘KlimaTicket’ (climate ticket).
The Austrian KlimaTicket is a public transport pass worth 1,000 euros (£860/$1,070) and during the promotion one was given away to anyone willing to turn their body into an advertising space and get a permanent tattoo of the word KlimaTicket on their skin get tattooed.
At the recent Frequency Festival and Electric Love Festival in Austria, pop-up tattoo parlors were set up, and the first three people to sign up for a tattoo at each event received the pass.
The campaign was a government initiative to draw attention to the KlimaTicket and the importance of public transport.
The Austrian KlimaTicket is a public transport pass worth 1,000 euros – and during a promotion one was given away to anyone willing to turn their body into an advertising space and get a permanent tattoo of the word KlimaTicket on their skin
For those who wanted to support the cause with something less permanent, free temporary tattoos were offered with designs related to public transport, sustainability and climate change.
Austrian Climate Minister Leonore Gewessler wore such a temporary tattoo, of the KlimaTicket mascot.
The plan provoked mixed reactions, with some applauding it and others criticizing the minister for using people’s skin to advertise her policies.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Henrike Brandstöttermember of Austria’s NEOS party, said: ‘Offering money to advertise under the skin – and that of a minister – reveals an unacceptable view of humanity.’
Another user asked: ‘Is this such an exemplary action? Motivate young adults to get tattoos?’
While ‘Mathias Neumayr‘ wrote: ‘The whole thing is a marketing and PR campaign that appeals very well to the local target group.’
Pop-up tattoo parlors (above) were set up during the recent Frequency Festival and Electric Love Festival in Austria, and the first three people to register at each event received the pass
A spokesperson for the Austrian Ministry of Climate Action told MailOnline Travel: ‘Of course the campaign can be seen as provocative, but the people who voluntarily decided to get a tattoo had to be at least 18 years old in Austria.
‘So we are talking about adults at an age when they decide for themselves what their profession is, decide to get married, build a house or even get a tattoo.’
The KlimaTicket annual card costs 1,095 euros and gives customers the opportunity to use all scheduled services in Austria – public and private – for one year from the date of purchase.
It’s part of a plan designed to are encouraging Austrians to use public transport as a climate-friendly alternative to driving, according to the ClimateTicket website.