I was reading the latest issue of Wired and noticed a peculiar thing. About 20 pages apart from one another, there were two ads which appeared to feature the same women. They’re both full page ads, one for the American Postal Service and a second one for Intel.
I asked around, and most men thought they were the same, while most women thought they were different. Personally, I think I’ve got borderline prosopagnosia, so I’m a lousy judge. What do you think?
I’ll post thumbnails below, but you can click on the close-ups for larger versions:
Even if they’re not the same women, there’s a fairly uncanny resemblance. Did the same ad firm do the ads? What is it about slightly brainy-looking redheads in cardigans? They’re both very Allison Hannigan.
On a related note, Travis pointed me to this story of one model’s extensive ad work.
DarrenBarefoot.com 
Interesting, and both are cute, but the girls are correct, they are different women.
I think the term is ‘type casting’ for an explanation of the resemblance.
I think they are different people, though only because I looked closely, prepared fo controversy; I’d have assumed the were the same person without warning.
And it’s Alyson, not Allison! 🙂
Different – A closer look at their jaw lines should convince you.
Definitely different.
Male Opinion – Different Women.. Their hair looks slightly different..
Don’t you have anything better to do??
Then again, I’m readying your blog and posting a comment so I don’t..
Keep up the good work.. 😉
I think they’re the same woman. About two years ago, there was a big brouhaha when Intel and some other big computer company (Dell?) debuted “back to school” ads that had the same model. Anyone remember this?
I recently noticed that the woman from the “toast or buns” commercial is now in an Old El Paso commercial. Same woman, different family.
Their noses and chins appear different, and while it’s harder to tell because only one is smiling, it seems their lips are too. They’re wearing similar glasses, though. 🙂
No opinion, but her name is Alyson Hannigan. The link is the right, link text is a bit off.
Different models. The texture of their hair is noticable different.
Definitely different women… The chin on one of them is noticably different than on the other… The hair is also quite different, and so is the eyebrows.
Similar though!
“The hair is different.”
Seriously? You honestly think you can tell by the hair? Has anyone ever seen a wig? Hair extensions? Crimpers, curlers, scissors?
But yes, the noses do tell the tale. They are two different women. One has almost no nose crease, the other quite defined.
And if that doesn’t convince you, the difference in the glasses should close the book.
See also
“The Most Famous Geek in IT”
http://slashdot.org/articles/03/09/05/0049247.shtml?tid=126&tid=133&tid=186
and “Lovely Lynn”
http://www.dailyping.com/archive/2001/02/09/
Brainy women are hot and getting away from the typical Blonde California stereotype makes it more memorable. Just my 2 cents.
Just from visually comparing the structure of the nostrils and ball of the nose, I’d say they are different women.
The women on the left also has a less angular base of jawline, less definition on brow ridges. Note the absence of neck wrinkles on the model on the right. I’d say the women on the right is a few years younger than the one on left.