Selling Obamacare to the younger crowd has now become a joke

The attempts to sign people up for Obamacare seem to have run the gamut from the silly to the ridiculous.

And I mean seriously ridiculous.

Recently, I told you how Richard Simmons, that odd fitness guru from an earlier era, was being used in a childish attempt to sell the program to a younger, healthier crowd.

Well, perhaps it occurred to someone that a more “hip” approach was needed.

Enter The Onion.

The Onion is a Mad Magazine-like site that calls itself “America’s finest news source.” Just as long as you don’t take any of the “news” it reports seriously.

So it figures that “Get Covered Illinois,” that state’s Obamacare health insurance exchange, would decide that The Onion’s in-house ad team was just what the doctor ordered.

Known as Onion Labs, this group of on-line practical jokers has now been put in charge of developing banner ads and other come-ons aimed at what are known as “Young Invincibles.”

“Man without health insurance forced to sell action figures to pay for medical bills,” reads one such pitch. “Don’t sell your action figures.”

Now, in fairness, The Onion has tricked a lot of us into thinking their fake news was real.

If only Obamacare was just one of their “news” stories…

Sources:
“In Illinois deal, the Onion will promote health insurance (really)” Scott Hensley, February 11, 2014, NPR, nor.org