Airline seeks bald men as walking billboards

[September 10, 2008]  WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -- New Zealand's national airline is offering to pay bald travelers to use their heads -- literally -- in a new advertising campaign.

Air New Zealand said it wants 70 recruits to stand in lines in three airports -- while wearing temporary tattoos on the back of their heads so the displays can be seen by people lining up behind them.

The airline would pay 1,000 New Zealand dollars ($660) for each walking billboard, a company official said.

The tattoos will promote a new system that is meant to reduce check-in waiting times.

Air New Zealand marketing manager Steve Bayliss described the campaign as "a bit of fun."

"It's a ... tattoo on the back of someone's head, so they have to have their head shaved or be bald already," he told National Radio on Wednesday. "It will be an advantage for them to be bald already."

The tattoos would fade or wash off after about two weeks, he said.

Bayliss added that he won't be part of the program since he was "doing OK" in the hair department.

[Associated Press]

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