Advertisers can bid for space on mom\'s belly
A pregnant woman's belly is prime advertising space, says former radio disc jockey and full-time mother Heather Williams.

"It tends to draw people's eyes," Williams said.

Under that assumption, the Berkshire mother of two is using eBay to auction off space on her pregnant mid-section.

"Everyone looks at pregnant bellies," her online advertisement reads. "Why not let them see something you want them to see?"

Williams said she will wear T-shirts with the winning bidder's company logo displayed across her belly.

The higher the bid, the longer she will wear the T-shirts. Williams said she would like to hear from some local bidders.

A part-time deejay with her business, Some Beach Entertainment, she describes herself as a "fun, outgoing 25-weeks-pregnant momma."

Williams' mother, Bonnie Winans of Deposit, wasn't surprised to hear about her daughter's stunt.

"She's very creative," Winans said. "She thinks up a lot of stuff. There's never a dull moment with Heather."

Williams thought up the advertising auction, she said, after GoldenPalace.com, an online casino, paid her friend thousands of dollars to airbrush their logo across her pregnant belly. Williams said she shied away from the idea of walking around with her mid-drift exposed and instead opted for T-shirts.

Jeff Greenfield, an executive vice president with 1st Approach, a Boston advertising agency, specializes in product placement in movies, television and the Internet. With media growing more diverse, Greenfield said, the advertising industry is rapidly shifting to adapt.

"Non-traditional is the way to go these days," Greenfield. "If you go back to the days when there were only a couple of channels, it was very easy to reach the majority of the country. Now, with hundreds of channels, the Internet and video games, it's very difficult to reach everyone."

With the media world evolving every day, companies are forced to think creatively to get their brand in the public's eye, he said. Greenfield described Williams' strategy as more of a novelty, or lighthearted entertainment, than an actual trend in advertising. Still, he said, creativity is key.

"What the heck," Williams said, "it's fun, and I get some free shirts."

Navigation: Branded Entertainment > Press > Advertisers can bid for space on mom\'s belly