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)