Ex-Campus SuperStar 2007 Alum Auctions Off Body As Ad Space For S'pore Hyrox Race, Bids Start At S$500

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Former Campus SuperStar 2007 contestant Marcus Lee is putting parts of his body up for auction.

Yes, you read that right.

But don't worry, the 33-year-old isn't actually selling any body parts.

Instead, he's offering brands the chance to advertise on his chest, arms and thighs when he competes in his first HYROX race in Singapore, taking place from November 26 to 29.

And if you're interested in getting your brand on Marcus' body, bids start at S$500, with more prominent spots going for at least S$1,000.

Talk about putting your body to work.

You might remember Marcus from the second season of Campus SuperStar, where he competed at 15 and finished as the second runner-up in the male category.

Since then, he's continued working as a singer-songwriter, actor and model, and even spent more than two years touring internationally as a backing vocalist for Mandopop superstar Jacky Cheung.

Now, he's taking on a rather different kind of gig.

In an Instagram video, Marcus announced his unusual business proposition.

"I'm putting my body up for auction. You heard that right, I'm selling ad space on my body," he declared.

According to his campaign website, brands can bid for advertising space on different parts of his body, with their logos displayed on him during the race.

Speaking to 8days.sg, Marcus reveals that the two sides of his chest are likely to be the hottest properties.

"They're probably the most prominent spots and would offer the best visibility for sponsors, so I expect those to attract the most interest," he says.

And it seems at least one brand agrees.

As of November 2, nutrition company Ethereal has already secured the advertising spot on his right chest.

Other areas, including his biceps, shoulders, arms and thighs, are still up for grabs.

While Marcus doesn't have a specific fundraising target, he does have one rather ambitious goal.

"The dream would be to fill up every available spot on my body! Hahaha!" he tells us.

Well, if all goes according to plan, Marcus might end up looking like a walking advertisement by race day.

So what inspired Marcus to auction off advertising space on his body in the first place?

As it turns out, he needed a little extra motivation to get himself race-ready.

In his Instagram video, Marcus admitted that despite signing up for HYROX back in June, he'd barely done any training in the months that followed.

"Yup, pretty much nothing. Maybe a Zone 2 run once a week, but that's about it," he confessed in his video.

For those unfamiliar with HYROX, the fitness competition involves eight 1km runs interspersed with eight functional workout stations, including sled pushes, rowing and wall balls.

In other words, not exactly something you can just show up and whack.

Marcus admits that he only started training seriously in mid-October, giving himself roughly a month to prepare for the race.

"As of today, I've completed three Hyrox station training sessions and four runs since mid-October. I haven't attempted a full race simulation yet, so I definitely have quite a bit of preparation ahead of me!" he says.

To be fair, Marcus isn't exactly a stranger to sports.

He was previously a youth national water polo athlete and now regularly plays tennis and practises calisthenics.

So he's hoping his sporting background will help him get through the gruelling race.

And with brands paying to have their logos displayed on his body, there's now even more incentive not to throw in the towel halfway.

"I've always believed that diamonds are formed under pressure! I don't necessarily see pressure as a bad thing. In fact, I think it can be a powerful motivator when channelled in the right direction," he says.

"With sponsors coming onboard, there's now an added sense of responsibility and accountability. It's no longer just about me completing a race; there are people and brands who have placed their trust in me,” he added.

Guess there's nothing quite like having paying sponsors on your chest to keep you accountable.

But Marcus' fitness journey hasn't always been smooth sailing.

He reveals that he went through a difficult period last year when he was constantly feeling tired and unhappy with his physical condition.

Despite playing tennis three to five times a week and hitting the gym another two to three times, he found himself stuck in a cycle of comfort eating.

"I wasn't feeling good about myself physically, so I'd turn to binge eating for comfort. But that would only make me feel worse afterwards, both physically and mentally," he shares.

The wake-up call came when his weight hit 80kg for the first time.

"Seeing 80kg on the scale was a wake-up call. I realised I couldn't keep going down that path, so I realised I wanted to make a change," he says.

Determined to turn things around, Marcus focused on improving his fitness and managed to lose 10kg over the next four months.

He even organised a fitness photoshoot with friends to celebrate the milestone.

And while he maintained his healthier habits for much of this year, he admitted in his Instagram video that he'd recently struggled to keep up the momentum.

Hence his rather creative solution to making sure he follows through with HYROX.

Before anyone starts wondering whether Marcus is about to make a small fortune from selling ad space on his body, he says the campaign isn't primarily about making money.

According to Marcus, the proceeds will mainly go towards covering race-related expenses and compensating the team members who helped bring the idea to life, including those who designed and developed his auction website.

Any remaining funds will go towards rewarding the team's efforts, with some potentially set aside for future fitness events.

And it seems his unusual idea is already attracting some attention.

Marcus reveals that he and his team have approached around 10 to 20 brands, with several discussions still ongoing.

As of November 2, only the spot on his right chest has been confirmed.

Besides having their logos displayed on Marcus during the race, participating brands will also receive exposure through his social media updates and a listing on his campaign website until the end of the year.

But beyond the sponsorships and the novelty of becoming a human billboard, Marcus says there's a more personal reason behind the campaign.

"Beyond the physical challenge, this entire exercise is about proving something to myself: that I can commit to a goal, push through the discomfort, and follow through with something I've set my mind to," he tells us.

And if all goes well, this might not be his last fitness race.

Though whether he'll be putting his body up for auction again remains to be seen.