WTF? Why is Isaac Asimov’s face being used to shill in a Huffington Post ad?

Posted by: Scott Tags: Isaac Asimov Posted date: February 9, 2013 | 5 Comments

I woke up today and checked the Huffington Post, as I often do as part of my morning new scrounge, and was surprised to spot Isaac Asimov’s head bouncing around in an ad for Pimsleur Approach.

Check out my (non-moving) screen grab.

I find it hard to believe that the use of his well-known face in this ad is authorized.

Isaac Asimov … endorsing Pimsleur? This can’t be a real thing. Can it? I don’t recall him ever writing anything on that subject, or hearing him pontificate on it, and a Google search only turns up a single reference that connects the two—and that’s for people who are equally as pissed off at seeing a great man misused by it as I am!

This traduces his memory and lessens his (though I kinda hate to use this word about the Good Doctor) brand.

So Pimsleur Approach people, just stop, OK? And if it’s not something the Pimsleur people did, but is instead the responsibility of the Huffington Post’s ad department, then they should knock it off. A photo of Isaac Asimov is not a stock image that can be used to imply endorsement.

I’ve written both companies to ask WTF is going on, and will let you know what I find out.

UPDATE: As of 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning, Asimov’s face is still shilling …

5 Comments for WTF? Why is Isaac Asimov’s face being used to shill in a Huffington Post ad?

Not Sure

This is why I use Ad Block Plus, in spite of whining by bloggers that I’m depriving them of revenue. The man’s been dead for, what, 20 years? I guess that’s long enough for scammy Internet ad people to use his image and figure most people won’t recognize him as anything other than a professorial type from central casting. They don’t care about anything other than click-throughs, and Huffington Post probably doesn’t care, either.

Sheri L. Williamson

Not just Asimov’s well-known face but cropped from a well-known portrait by Rowena Morrill. The artist might also like to pursue it.

Scott

Thanks for pointing that out! I should have caught that.

Andrew Denny

I suspect that’s a syndicated ad which is not controlled by either Huffington or the advertiser. We are getting plagued by all these “Mom of 57 shows new wrinkle-removing tricks, doctors hate her” syndicated ads which pop up in ostensibly reputable sites. The fact that it’s a Asimov pic is probably irrelevant – they just wanted a face pic that was easily available.

msbpodcast

They grabbed/ripped-off a .JPG from a site somewhere and nobody ever objected before (that we know of.)

Its nothing personal, its just SPAM and the thieving mentality of spammers.

Whatever schlock they’re peddling is probably of the same quality as well.