Following wine, toilet seat covers, first-aid kits and vomit bags, Ed Hardy recently released their branded hand sanitizer, “Ed Hardy Habit”. Ed Hardy is a street fashion clothing brand with a tattoo-themed visual identity (see our previous post here). Ed Hardy clothing is designed by Christian Audigier and inspired by the legendary tattoo artist, Don Ed Hardy, who is also known as “the godfather of modern tattoo” ¹.

Ed Hardy tattoo street fashion has generated huge success not only in Hollywood but around the globe. The brand labels T-shirts, shoes, wallets, bags, purses, caps, belts, necklaces, wristbands, socks, sunglasses, jewelry, and watches with Ed Hardy tattoos, and they have now moved on to a more mundane product— hand sanitizer. Their product slogan is “No longer a regular commodity, our hand sanitizer is now a sexy lifestyle habit!” Who would have though that hand sanitizer could be sexy?!
It seems the Ed Hardy brand is not afraid of diluting their brand equity by applying their visual identity to so many different types of products. But should they be? With the brand’s visual identity slapped on so many products, it can confuse consumers and lessen brand knowledge. Ed Hardy brand began on T-shirts, but where will it end?
Some argue that the unique applications of the Ed Hardy’s visual identity are just what have made the brand successful. It is true, the shocking applications of the brand do strengthen the pillar of differentiation, and with the right target audience, esteem too. Yet, it must still be relevant. Hand sanitizer is definitely useful, which is perhaps why “Ed Hardy Habit” is already sold out online.
One thing’s for sure, Ed Hardy is determined to push the limit with their brand identity. Only time will tell whether their brand equity suffers as a result, or not.

1. http://www.habitualsolutions.com