Funny Business

A toothy smile from a stock photo model doesn't always cut it these days when you're looking to add some visual interest to your advertising. With the exception of promotions for cosmetics, facial plastic surgery and ads for teeth whiteners, pretty faces are getting passé, and other body parts are ready for their close-ups.

That's the thinking behind the ad shown here, developed for Kaiser Permanente, the large HMO, by one of its ad agencies, Rapp Collins Worldwide. This ad gets an A+ in my book for its peekaboo image of an open-gowned hospital patient-one that gives new meaning to the phrase "covering your butt." In this case, it humorously complements the headline "Just a reminder, we're terrific at covering what Medicare doesn't." The ad talks about the HMO's Senior Advantage program, which supplements coverage for care that Medicare doesn't fully pay for. (This ad is the front of a newspaper insert, with the the backside showing the patient frontally with a continuation of the message.)