Can you make money advertising on your FACE?

Advertising is big business, which is why it’s everywhere - on signs, on TV, on radio and social media, even in our hospitals. There are very few corners of our lives that aren’t infiltrated by advertising.

But could you get a slice of that advertising pie? And how bad would it be to stick adverts to your face? Or, slightly less crazily, your car?

We’ve been taking a look at whether the average man or woman on the street can supplement their income by wearing or driving advertising…

Adverts on your face

Clearly this isn’t a new craze in advertising; it’s not as if the streets and buses are filled with advertising-painted faces.

A number of PR and media organisations have used face-painted students to advertise products and launches. But can the average Joe or Joanna make money this way?

The answer is yes, if they are in the right place at the right time. Most advertising agencies that have done this have targeted students and recruited their faces from among the student body. There are stories of undergrads being paid in hard cash or getting free products. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be anyone recruiting for this more generally.

Perhaps the best way to, erm, maximise the fiscal potential of your cranial platform is to sell the space yourself. That’s what the two graduates behind the website BuyMyFace.com did – they spent 12 months selling the chance to have brands, messages and general silliness displayed in their faces.

They decided to sell their face space every day for a year, meaning prices started from as little as £1 for the days when there wasn’t much demand.

According to the website they are still in business. But before you plan on paying £1 to daub their faces with a stupid or rude message, take a look at their FAQ. In answer to “What can I display on your faces?” they’ve warned: “We're desperate, but we're not that desperate.”

[9 other unusual ways to make money]

Adverts on your car

Slightly less silly is the idea of advertising companies on your car. A number of businesses have sprung up to offer this service, where drivers agree to display stickers or even total-car wraparounds on their vehicles in return for easy money.

Most companies paying motorists for this require the driver to travel an agreed number of miles a day, or to park in a popular area. However, if you’re travelling to those destinations anyway then this could be a simple way to make some extra cash.

According to Uni Car Ads (which is about to roll out nationally, giving non-students a chance at signing up), drivers can be paid £30-£50 a month for placing some simple stickers on their cars. Don’t worry, the stickers are easily removed when the deal is done.

If you don’t mind covering your car more completely then the company Comm-motion will pay up to £220 a month. Again, the advert wrap is only a temporary coating, it won’t ruin your car. In fact, according to Comm-motion it protects your car from some chips and scratches, helping it keep its re-sale value.

There are some caveats of course. The company arranging the advertising may carry out spot checks, and if your car isn’t where it should be or if it isn’t clean enough then the deal may be off.

So, can the man or woman on the street - or rather, behind the wheel – make money this way? Well, yes. Some drivers are undoubtedly supplementing their motoring costs by carrying advertising.

However, many people have complained via online forums that they registered but never heard back. It seems to be a buyers’ market meaning that only the most suitable cars in the ideal locations are being chosen.

Adverts on your online space

One of the best ways for an everyday person to get a slice of advertising money is online. If you have a popular blog or website, you can earn money by displaying advertising.

Most common is the ‘pay-per-click’ model, where you get a small amount of cash when someone engages with an advert via your site. If you’re uploading popular content to YouTube, you can also take a share of the advertising revenue it generates.

The dad behind the ‘Charlie bit my finger’ video that went viral has reportedly earned over £100,000 in advertising fees, while some popular video bloggers report earning thousands a month.

Of course, saying that you could make money this way is a bit like saying ‘there’s money in being a rock star’. It is very true, but you need some seriously popular content to make it pay.

[How Psy made £16m from his YouTube success]

Would you advertise a brand on your face? Do you make money advertising online? Have your say using the comments below.