Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Will You Market for Free Gas?
byHow far would you go to get free gas? Would you be willing to wrap your car with someone else’s marketing message in exchange for free gas? Such claims may sound too good to be true, but Websites such as gettingfreegas.com, paidride.com, and eyeearn.com are paying you for advertising on your car, and even on yourself.
While vehicle advertising is not “new,” the payoff of getting free gas for hosting ads certainly is sure to get attention. According to gettingfreegas.com, the concept is simple really. They claim that every single vehicle on the road has potential advertising space normally untouchable by other mediums of outdoor advertising. The website also claims, that through them, you can earn anywhere from five dollars up to $2,000 a month for placing ads on your car.
Typically, the ads used for display on a car are made from durable vinyl that is safe to install and uninstall. They say the vinyl actually can help protect your vehicle’s paint from the elements. Other vehicle ads are magnetic, which can easily be applied and removed. As a client of most of these programs, the advertiser typically will cover the costs to have the advertisements created and then put on your vehicle.
Gettingfreegas.com and other similar sites accept almost every type of vehicle, regardless of make, model and year, into their database. The only requirements are that the participants are at least 18 years of age, have a legal driver’s license and are willing to drive around with an ad on their car.
Still sound too good to be true? Only a few downsides of these programs have been identified. To be part of one of these advertising programs, you usually have to pay a service fee to be part of their database which advertisers get clients from. This fee typically varies from 15 dollars up to 50 dollars. They claim the fee will help link participants to a desired ad in a timely manner. Also, there is a good chance you will not be able to choose the company you are advertising for (wouldn’t it be ironic to see a Toyota Prius sporting an ad for a SUV vehicle?) Of course you always have the option to turn down any offer. Finally, it’s not recommended you go out and spend your current gas money on something else- since there is no guarantee you will be selected to place an ad on your car. The companies decide which countries, states, cities, cars, and even consumers are ideal for their product advertisement, and if you do not fall into their plan, there is a good chance you will never see any coin.
In the end, if we decide to submit our car to be used for ad campaigns like this, we could all have a shot at free gas, with a few free sideways glances. Given today’s pain at the gas pump, it’s no doubt we’ll be seeing more rolling signs on a road near us.
