Want a Body Piercing With That Server?

Here's one of the more unusual hosting sales promotions we've seen: ServerBeach is offering a free body piercing with every new server ordered on April 1st. The offer is open to either new or existing customers, who will receive their piercing at the ServerBeach stand at the Internet World conference in London, on April 27–29.

"We were tired of the typical boring giveaways that have been done to death," Dominic Monkhouse, managing director of ServerBeach in the UK. "We’ve decided to do something a little more interesting and give our customers something more memorable. So roll up – order a server on April 1st and get metal!”

The web hosting industry has a tradition of offbeat "guerilla marketing" promotions. Last year staff members at Peer 1 Networks (the parent of ServerBeach) got tattoos to observe the company's 10th anniversary in business.

That built upon a 2003 "human billboard" campaign in which CI Host paid Chicago's Jim Nelson $7,000 to permanently tattoo the back of his shaved head with a five inch square C I Host logo. The marketing gimmick generated widespread media coverage.

ServerBeach needs some work on its call to action, however, as the company's web site doesn't currently mention the promotion. The press release includes only a phone number.