Bumvertising
Encyclopedia
Bumvertising is a form of informal employment in which a homeless
person is paid to display advertising
.
The Bumvertising website publicizing this form of advertising was launched in August 2005 by Benjamin Rogovy, a 22-year-old entrepreneur who hired homeless men in the U.S.
city of Seattle, Washington, to carry signs with the URL
of his poker player match-up site.
In high traffic
areas, such as intersections many beggars hold up a sign describing their plight but most people that pass by do not contribute to the beggar. To an advertiser this could be a valuable resource to reach a broader audience
. The homeless person will usually carry the sign for a small amount of money
or food
for a rather low expense to the advertiser. The cost to get the beggar to hold the sign is much lower than paying minimum wage
to a person wearing a sandwich board
or costume
.
Sometimes, homeless people can be victims of passive-aggressive advertising by companies. Such as, when some cities host homeless conventions (e.i. Project Homeless Connect in Minneapolis), some companies may sponsor the event and hand out clothing and accessories with their company logo on it. You may see a lot of Caribou Coffee
t-shirts and Target
hats in downtown Minneapolis as a result of this.
Homeless advocates accuse Rogovy of exploiting
the poor and take particular offense to the use of the word “bum” which is generally considered pejorative
.
Rogovy was parodied during an interview by correspondent Dan Bakkedahl
on the September 20, 2005 episode of The Daily Show
. Bumvertising has also received non-comedic coverage in blogs, newspapers, and television shows from around the world. It was most recently discussed by a panel of marketing experts on The Gruen Transfer
, a popular Australian marketing show.
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
person is paid to display advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
.
The Bumvertising website publicizing this form of advertising was launched in August 2005 by Benjamin Rogovy, a 22-year-old entrepreneur who hired homeless men in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
city of Seattle, Washington, to carry signs with the URL
Uniform Resource Locator
In computing, a uniform resource locator or universal resource locator is a specific character string that constitutes a reference to an Internet resource....
of his poker player match-up site.
In high traffic
Traffic
Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel...
areas, such as intersections many beggars hold up a sign describing their plight but most people that pass by do not contribute to the beggar. To an advertiser this could be a valuable resource to reach a broader audience
Audience
An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature , theatre, music or academics in any medium...
. The homeless person will usually carry the sign for a small amount of money
Money
Money is any object or record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange; a unit of account; a store of value; and, occasionally in the past,...
or food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
for a rather low expense to the advertiser. The cost to get the beggar to hold the sign is much lower than paying minimum wage
Minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
to a person wearing a sandwich board
Sandwich board
A sandwich board is a type of advertisement composed of two boards and being either:*Carried by a person, with one board in front and one behind, creating a "sandwich" effect; or...
or costume
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
.
Sometimes, homeless people can be victims of passive-aggressive advertising by companies. Such as, when some cities host homeless conventions (e.i. Project Homeless Connect in Minneapolis), some companies may sponsor the event and hand out clothing and accessories with their company logo on it. You may see a lot of Caribou Coffee
Caribou Coffee
Caribou Coffee Company is a specialty coffee and espresso retailer, the second largest in the United States after Starbucks. Caribou sells coffee, tea, and bakery goods in 415 company-owned coffeehouses in 16 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 126 franchise locations worldwide.-...
t-shirts and Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
hats in downtown Minneapolis as a result of this.
Homeless advocates accuse Rogovy of exploiting
Exploitation
This article discusses the term exploitation in the meaning of using something in an unjust or cruel manner.- As unjust benefit :In political economy, economics, and sociology, exploitation involves a persistent social relationship in which certain persons are being mistreated or unfairly used for...
the poor and take particular offense to the use of the word “bum” which is generally considered pejorative
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
.
Rogovy was parodied during an interview by correspondent Dan Bakkedahl
Dan Bakkedahl
Dan Bakkedahl is an American improvisational actor, comedian and teacher from Chicago's Second City. Born in Rochester, Minnesota and raised in Stuart, Florida, he attended St...
on the September 20, 2005 episode of The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
. Bumvertising has also received non-comedic coverage in blogs, newspapers, and television shows from around the world. It was most recently discussed by a panel of marketing experts on The Gruen Transfer
The Gruen Transfer
The Gruen Transfer is an Australian television program focusing on advertising, which debuted on ABC1 on 28 May 2008 and has run for four seasons...
, a popular Australian marketing show.