I thought that the government sending a letter telling us they were sending us a letter was the pinnacle of Government waste – until a reader wrote to alert me that The Census Bureau was actually sponsoring a Nascar car – at a cost of $1.2 million for three races.  I assumed this was a joke, as those of us in the advertising business know that these kinds of sponsorships are a complete waste of money for most advertisers, but sure enough, here it is!

Accordingly, I would like to suggest a few other  ways to advertise the Census that make as much sense as sponsoring Nascar:

• Hand out free “Census 2010” doggie poop bags in all local parks.
• Make Census 2010 the official sponsor of the Little League World Series.
• Census 2010 gum.
• Sponsor a Census 2010 dance team on Dancing With The Stars – Dick Cheney and Cher.
• Make Cyndi Lauper’s charity on The Celebrity Apprentice the 2010 Census.
• Free Census 2010 tattoos on Fridays.
• A special edition Census 2010 Toyota Prius.
• A Census 2010 Superhero movie starring Robert Downy Jr.
• Put the guy that runs the Census on Undercover Boss.
• The Census 2010 Happy Meal at McDonalds.