The Body as Billboard: Your Ad Here (NY Times article on new advertising revenue possibilities)

NY Times ^ | February 17, 2009 | ANDREW ADAM NEWMAN

[a fool in paradise]

TERRY GARDNER, a legal secretary in California, returned home from work recently to find two police officers waiting. They said her brother had told them he thought she might be having a breakdown because she had shaved her head.

Ms. Gardner, 50, said in a telephone interview that she had told the officers that she was fine and had shaved her head for an advertising campaign by Air New Zealand, which had hired her to display a temporary tattoo. She turned around and showed them the message, written in henna on the back of her head: “Need A Change? Head Down to New Zealand....

Ms. Gardner was among 30 of what the airline calls “cranial billboards.” For shaving their noggins and displaying the ad copy for two weeks in November, they received either a round-trip ticket to New Zealand (worth about $1,200) or $777 in cash (an allusion to the Boeing 777, a model in the airline’s fleet).

...In 2005, Andrew Fischer, then 20 and living in Omaha, set up an eBay auction offering his forehead as a site for a temporary tattoo advertisement for one month. Green Pharmaceuticals’ Snore- Stop won with a $37,375 bid, and Mr. Fischer appeared on national programs, including “Good Morning America,” and in scores of newspapers and Web sites. Soon afterward, Mr. Fischer sold his forehead a second time — to Golden Palace — but got just $5,000 and scant media attention. His forehead has remained ad-free since.

“For 40 grand, I don’t regret looking like an idiot for a month,” said Mr. Fischer, when reached by telephone. “But it’s not like the most fun thing in the world to walk around with a big ad on your face.”

[a fool in paradise]

[a fool in paradise]

PONG!

[A_Former_Democrat]

Maybe the NYT can advertise on some of the low hanging pants types. Increases its advertising and gives the oppressed some pocket change.

[Slings and Arrows]

---

[pabianice]

I cannot adequately describe the joy I feel at the Times' going out of business.

[a fool in paradise]

A share of NYet Times stock now costs less than the Sunday edition of the paper.

[Cicero]

So, is that what you’re supposed to do if you’re worried about your sister shaving her head? Call the police and tell them she may be a maniac?

Good thinking, buddy. You’re lucky she wasn’t tasered or shot. Not that you seem to care.

[a fool in paradise]

Britney Spears didn’t even have to tattoo her skull to get press after shaving her own head.

[Oztrich Boy]

So, is that what you’re supposed to do if you’re worried about your sister shaving her head? Call the police and tell them she may be a maniac?

You certainly don't talk to her first. What if she really is nuts? Could be unseemly. Let the cops handle it. Civilian control is their job

[martin_fierro]

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[Cicero]

I was thinking that maybe the NY Times could get a little more badly needed ad revenue if they shaved Pinch Sulzberger’s head and put an ad on the back—or even on his forehead.

Not quite sure what, but I’m sure they can think of something. How about, “Will pimp for Democrats,” or “I love Obama”?

[Daffynition]

[visualops]

You’re lucky she wasn’t tasered or shot

I'm tempted to think he's not too fond of her LOL