The human body has been offered many a times (especially on eBay) for advertising purposes. I remember reading about a guy who had offered his forehead for advertisement and earned pretty well from the deal. Taking cue is Handvertising USA, which is an Orange County-based company that connects advertisers with customers willing to display ads on their hands. "Almost everyone has been to a county fair, swap meet, bar or club and had had their hand stamped for proof of entry. We have found a better use for this space that could make everyone happy," says Mike Brown, the CEO of the company. "We find venues also use the stamps to increase business. For example venues are offering special prices on drinks if the customer has a particular Handvertising stamp. People are requesting particular stamps because they want to fit in and they want the drink special," he says. Handvertising is a great low-tech advertising concept that may not work everywhere. Barcelona's exclusive VIP Baja Beach Club offers its VIP guests the option to implant a special microchip in their upper arms. The RFID-recognized chip not only gives them special access to VIP lounges, but also acts as a debit account from which they can pay for drinks. No fraud possible. And identify theft requires body theft.

Both examples indicate the revival of the human body in the marketing field. To cite another example, NTT DoCoMo, Japan's largest wireless operator, is working on a mobile phone that sends electric signals through the human body to transmit data, enabling electronic payments or data transfer at the touch of a finger.

Handvertising Via