We all know marketers target teenage girls in their advertisements, but a recent trend in Japan has turned these teen-aged girls into the advertisement themselves. A story by Kate  Randall explains that this isn’t an ordinary type of advertising – companies are now able to buy advertising space on girls legs, and more specifically, their thighs.

Three Japanese girls with paid advertisements on their thighs

As of this past November 1300 girls have already registered their legs for add space – and the number only seems to be growing. In return for the advertisers money, the girls are stamped with a company’s logo or message and must allow the logo to be visible by wearing short shorts or a mini-skirt, and the logo must remain on for eight hours. The girls themselves are then responsible for posting pictures of themselves (along with their new temporary sticker) onto their Facebook, Twitter and/or other social media sites.

This isn’t the first time that companies have advertised on a persons skin. Back in 2007 a man sold advertising space on his face, surprising for prices as low as only $100, and had companies logo’s tattooed onto his face.

Back in 2007, a man – now regretful – sold advertising space on his face

Although the advertisements on the girls thighs are not permanent, it still brings up a moral dilemma of how far is too far. Advertisements on a girls thighs might just cross that line of being too far. Ultimately it the girls choice of whether or not she wants to register and put herself in the position of using her thighs as an advertisement. But with the only guidelines being 18 years old, and having a minimum of 20 connections on social media I personally believe this is a situation that has gone too far.