This July, the Bristol Tattoo Convention turns 10! As one of the most respected gatherings of tattoo artists and enthusiasts in the world and one our longest standing clients and supporters, we are thrilled to have partnered with them again for another high impact outdoor campaign in the run-up to this year’s event. 

The Bristol Tattoo Convention’s lineage is deeply rooted in the city’s rich tattooing history, stretching back to the 1950s, when the original Bristol Tattoo Club and legendary artist Les Skuse hosted some of the UK’s first conventions. 

According to BTC’s organisers, ticket sales and overall engagement increase from the moment the posters go up, and with more than 50 billboards across the South West and an outstanding hand-painted takeover of the Bristol Media Wall, it’s not hard to see why. This campaign is a great example of how an independent brand or event can build hype, maximise visibility and drive ticket sales without compromising on values or creative integrity. 

In keeping with the fine detail and craftsmanship that takes place during the event, respected local artists and tattooists Mike22inks, Miss Peggy Brown and Sepr spent a day painting our Temple Meads hoardings, creating a temporary open air gallery in one of Bristol’s busiest areas that’s been drawing attention from passers by long after packing up their spray cans. In a world where advertisers constantly compete for space, commissioning artists to embellish a campaign is one of the best ways to stand out from the crowd. As well as honouring Bristol’s own cultural  heritage as a city of street art, it can also dissuade rogue taggers from defacing a poster wall!

We headed down to Temple Meads to watch the live paint in action and catch up with Bristol Tattoo Convention founder Phil...

Hi Phil, thanks for coming down. Can you tell us a bit about the event?

“The convention is always on the first weekend in July, so this year it’s taking place on the 4th and 5th. We usually have good weather, so fingers crossed! Because this is our 10th anniversary, we’re putting on a bit of a bash in the car park as well. We’ve got a few bands playing, with the Wurzels closing the weekend off. We started off in the Passenger Shed back in 2015 and now our home is Ashton Gate Stadium, so you could say we’ve got a little bigger since then…

The main focus of this convention, compared to others, is that we concentrate solely on tattooing. The tattoo artists are hand-selected and come from all over the world. We’ve got artists from Japan, America, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Italy, France, Belgium and Bristol, of course. We tend to stick to more traditional styles of tattooing. We encourage artists to do walk-ups as well, so at the convention you can just turn up and get a piece done there and then. We don’t tend to do competitions. It’s all about tattooing and just celebrating it for what it is.”

What was your campaign strategy this year?

“AI can do one. We’re nothing about AI. Everything is hand drawn and hand painted and we’re promoting that. The 2026 poster has been designed by a tattooist who specialises in Japanese work and it will be screen printed onto t-shirts and posters which you can buy by Jacknife Prints in Bristol. Even what we’re doing here (with the live paint) is a nod to the fact that tattooing is an art form. With so many tattoo conventions nowadays, you’ll see a poster that’s clearly AI plastered up on Facebook and that’s it. There’s no effort. So we’re making an effort and trying to get out there. 

We’ve done about fifty billboards and digital billboards across the South West. We’ve got some in Wales as well - but predominantly in Bristol. We do what Out of Hand calls a ‘takeover’, which is a whole bunch of boards across a particular stretch. To make it look a bit prettier and in keeping with the convention, we get three local artists down and they just make it stand out even more than it stands out already. There’s a pretty strong link between tattooing and graffiti that goes back years and years. Stylistically, the big, bold, black outlines and the bright colours intertwine. The guys painting now are all tattooists and you can see their individual styles come out, not just in the tattoos they do, but also in their art. 

The outdoor campaign works really well for us because Bristol’s such a busy city. Our original idea was to put the billboards in the areas with the heaviest traffic flow, and it works. You can’t drive around Bristol without seeing our logo- it’s literally everywhere! Our campaign usually starts about a month before the event and the increase in engagement, sales and social media views is noticeable from the day the billboards go up. We’ve built up a following on Instagram and Facebook over the last ten years, but it’s totally organic. We just let it roll. The majority of our customers are returning and a lot of the artists are, too. If it was a good event the year before, the next year they’ll come back and bring their friends. 

It’s always a busy weekend, the stadium is always packed, but I definitely think the impact that outdoor advertising has is exciting to see. It’s always nice when you’re driving along the Bath road or wherever and you spot a billboard.”

How would you pitch the Bristol Tattoo Convention to someone who’s never been before?

“Look, I’m not gonna go Bob Geldof. We look after all of the artists and the customers and we make it a cheap day out. I mean, you get an entire day of entertainment for twenty quid. 250 artists, 50 traders, everything from jewellery to taxidermy, weird houseware. You can get a sign painted by Joby Carter, who’s one of the best sign writers in the UK. You’ll get to see the Wurzels and if you’re not into that, you’ve got Jaguar Skills. Sean, who’s one of the artists painting here, is playing with his band as well.”

Anything else you’d like to add?

“Nah...fish and chips?”

The Bristol Tattoo Convention takes place from the 4-5th July at Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol. Find out more and get tickets here.