Advertisers constantly seek novel avenues to showcase company logos, and now, people’s bodies have emerged as a controversial advertising medium. Remember the case of the 20-year-old Nebraskan who auctioned his forehead on eBay? SnoreStop won with a $37,375 bid, gaining a month of exposure on the web designer’s face – a bargain considering a single full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal can exceed $23,000, and one in American Idol: The Magazine costs $45,000.
However, a far less fortunate incident highlights the darker side of body branding. A 27-year-old woman in Manhattan suffered severe burns when she fell onto a scorching manhole cover. The metal, heated by a steam pipe, branded her skin just above the buttocks and on her left arm with a portion of the Consolidated Edison (Con Edison) logo. According to allheadlinenews.com, the woman heard her skin sizzle and saw the letters ‘O’ and ‘N’ etched into her skin. The scarring is permanent.
Consequently, the woman has filed a lawsuit against Con Edison, alleging negligence, carelessness, recklessness, and culpable conduct. The outcome remains uncertain, but this case underscores the potential legal and ethical ramifications when bodies become unwilling canvases for corporate branding.