Pimpin' is Easy (for Advertisers)

Jim Nelson selling out.

Jim Nelson--a bright-eyed, Nirvana-loving, safety pin pants-wearing, 22-year-old fella--walked into CI Host, a web hosting company, one crisp morning in 2003 knowing he was about to make $7,000. What he didn't know was he was about to open terrifying new doors for the advertising industry.

He was going to sell the back of his head as ad space for the company. He was going to have a logo permanently tattooed on his body.

Business-wise, he was a great success. He brought in 500 new customers within the first six months of his permanent rebranding. Integrity-wise, not so much.

CEO of CI Host, Christopher Faulkner, originally wanted to have the tattoo placed on some desperate soul's forehead, but, at the time, Nelson was the only willing participant, and he would only agree to have it on the back of his head.

There's that integrity again. At least he was a little selective.

And, to be fair, the arrangement wasn't permanent (though the tattoo was). CI Host indicated in Nelson's contract that he had to travel around the U.S. promoting the company and keeping the five square inch tattoo visible at all times for five years.

OK, so let's do the math here. Five goes into 7,000 how many times? 1,400. Congrats, Jim. You signed on for a $1,400 annual salary on a five-year contract. Guess you'll have to get creative selling other body parts to the ad industry to compete with that astronomical minimum wage paycheck everyone else seems to be getting.

Nelson was the first of his kind, but many more have followed in his footsteps. To me, this indicates just how badly the ad industry by the throat. Now we know, if we're ever hard-up for cash, we can essentially prostitute ourselves to advertisers for our meals. What a great last resort. I can't, however, say I wouldn't stoop to this level if I needed the money badly enough. And that's just the problem. They get away with way too much.

Until next time.