If the human body is the last frontier for
advertising space, then St. Louis resident Asia Francis is helping chart
new territory - the big, pregnant belly.
Francis, 21, auctioned
off the advertising rights to
her pregnancy on eBay. The winning bid of $1,000 went to a California
Internet company, giving it exclusive rights to temporarily tattoo its brand-name on Francis's belly and
broadcast the birth of her daughter live on the Internet. The baby is due
any day.
The concept of a human billboard is hardly new.
Twenty-one year old Andrew Fischer of Omaha, Neb., earned more than
$37,000 last year by bearing a corporate logo on his forehead for a month.
Michele Hutchison of Lanhorne, Pa., auctioned ad rights for her baby's
clothing on eBay last year, seeking $1,000 for a months' lease.
For big companies, the idea is simple. Do something outrageous or
strange, grab some media attention and cut through the clutter of
advertising messages that bombards consumers.
"It's a well-held theory in the advertising industry that the average
person on the street receives up to 3,000 branded messages a day," said
Floyd Hayes, whose New York advertising firm, Cunning Communications,
specializes in media stunts.
The pregnant belly is prime real estate for auction because it's likely
to get people talking, Hayes said.
"If they were to buy the coverage they will receive for this, it would
cost them many times more the fee they paid the person," he said.
(Agencies)
Updated: 2006-03-14 10:09
