"That's what the band wanted," Salzhauer told The Huffington Post earlier Wednesday. "I didn't want to impinge on their creativity."
Salzhauer gave the lead actor in the video, Groggers frontman L.E. Doug Staiman, a nose job for free as part of the deal, and Staiman's transformation is worked into the storyline. Half the video was shot before the surgery and half after, six days later.
Despite the unorthodox approach, Salzhauer, married with five children, is serious about increasing the business of his Bal Harbour Plastic Surgery practice. He hopes to boost his yearly rhinoplasty total from around 250 to 500, he said.
The surgeon paid the band $2,000 for the song and flew the group from New York City to Miami to shoot the video. He wouldn't divulge the budget of the video, but we suspect it cost more than a nip and tuck. After a recommendation from a friend, Salzhauer contacted the band and asked if they could compose a number about nose jobs. "This is the most insane thing a medical doctor could commission a band to do," Staiman said.
The Groggers delivered the song two days later. "It's catchy," Salzhauer said. "I got my 3-year-old nephew singing it."
Salzhauer thought the song warranted the full MTV treatment, and a kooky but now under-fire visual ode to facial enhancement was born. Salzhauer praised the director, Farrell Goldsmith, for doing an "amazing job" while filming with just his brother as the crew.
AdWeek's Ad Freak first reported on Salzhauer's venture Wednesday, and the responses began to roll in. "Despite the slightly offensive name and slightly controversial aspect of it, they've been overwhelmingly positive," the doctor said.
Salzhauer is also encouraging others to make videos about nose jobs, with the one receiving the most hits on YouTube to win a free nose job plus airfare and lodging. He asks entrants to upload their works to YouTube, and send the link on Twitter to @DrSalzhauer.
In 2008, Salzhauer made the media rounds when he wrote a book explaining cosmetic surgery to children called "My Beautiful Mommy."