Bumvertising - a concept that beggars belief

[emad]

Bumvertising - a concept that beggars belief
By Claudia Rowe
September 19, 2005


To rush-hour drivers, the beggars standing mute and motionless beside Seattle highway exit ramps may be a persistent nuisance or a sign of deep social ills. But to Ben Rogovy, they were an answer.

After scrambling to create an internet development business and engineer his own website for poker fans, Mr Rogovy had lots of ideas but little cash with which to advertise them. Then, while staring at a beggar's cardboard sign, the light bulb clicked on.

"So much traffic goes by these sign holders, I thought, 'Wouldn't it be cool if they could advertise themselves and me at the same time?' " A 22-year-old who was an economics major, Mr Rogovy packed his knapsack with cash, a few sandwiches and three professionally printed posters advertising his venture, PokerFaceBook.com.

Then he hit the streets. The idea was simple: pay beggars a few dollars to let him attach a glossy, green PokerFaceBook ad to their own signs, and drivers scanning the beggars' rumpled, hand-lettered lettered pleas would inevitably notice his

http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/bumvertising-beggars-
belief/2005/09/18/1126981946287.html



http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/mirror/apr2002/8/6/000C43CF-718E-1CCE-BB4180C328EC02AA.10
DOES MY BUM LOOK BIG IN THIS?????

[peekaloo]

1. I can't get first link to work. The Daily Show is doing a report on

this very topic tonight.