Promotional model

A promotional model at E3 2005 depicting Athena.

File:BandohRQ.jpg

Race Queens Ayu Suzuki (L), Machi Shirakawa, Kaori Wakana, and Miho Takagi of the Japanese racing team Bandoh Racing.

A promotional model is a person hired to help increase awareness about a product or service, usually through their appearance or acting. The promotional model is the consumer's frontline connection to the product or service. The model should present information to the customer in a friendly, upbeat, knowledgable and professional manner. Models must have a positive, outgoing, and energetic personality.

Some assignments are auto shows, boat shows, music concerts, sporting events, seasonal festivals, convention events, and local malls. Many jobs require specific clothing or a costume. Promotional jobs will pay $15-$50 an hour. Other promotional marketing staff positions include product ambassadors, trade show spokesmodels, event staff, samplers, product demonstrators, and narrators.

"Booth babe" is a slang term referring to attractive women hired specifically to draw attendees into the booths of commercial exhibitions. These ladies are not regular employees of the company, but are typically freelance models.

A classic example is the scantily-clad models employed at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, a conference for video game developers, publishers, and journalists. Booth babes typically dress either as popular female video game characters (such as BloodRayne or Lara Croft) or in garb that is themed to match the games they are promoting. The purpose of a booth babe is to attract the attention of E3 attendees (who might otherwise be distracted by the loud music, giant screens, and flashing lights that characterize the conference) and direct them to booths, where game developers and publishers hawk their upcoming game titles.

As a tradition, booth babes have received mixed reactions from gaming enthusiasts. Some regard them as male chauvinistic, and cite them as evidence that the video game industry is promoting itself exclusively to teenage boys, a practice which could limit its ability to expand and appeal to a broader audience. Others see booth babes as a harmless, entertaining diversion. Some attendees have even created web sites with vast collections of booth babe photos from past E3 events. Still other critics condemn the practice of using booth babes or challenge the objectifying of industry models.

In Japan, promotional models in motor races are known as race queen, usually found as part of a pit crew in many popular series, such as F1 and JGTC. It is especially popular in Japan, where race queens sometimes go on to become models or even actresses, based on their popularity. Its popularity is also gaining in Korea, China, and other Asian nations. Their official job is to hold an umbrella over the driver while his car is being worked on. However, in reality, their function is simply to make motor racing seem sexier while promoting the teams and their sponsors. They generally wear some sort of revealing costume (minidress, swimsuit, hot pants, or the like), as well as pantyhose and high heels or knee high boots.

In Japan they, unlike many campaign girls in other countries, have a higher profile. A magazine dedicated to them is called Gals Paradise

In Thailand they are known as "pretties" and they are used extensively at events ranging from the Bangkok International Motor Shows to minor events such as openings of shopping centers. There are businesses dedicated to recruiting and providing pretties for events, classifying them into several categories according to skills and experience. A pretty-presenter does product presentations; a pretty-dancer is part of a dance group at a manufacturer's booth; a plain pretty just stands and hands out promotional materials. Wages are lucrative for the most attractive and experienced pretties, several times what they would normally earn in an office job.

Famous models who are/were promotional models (as individuals or groups)

(Listed with event they are likely to be seen at)

• Hawaiian Tropic Girls - 24 Hours of Le Mans
• Kazumi Kondo - D1 Grand Prix, formerly in JGTC
• Nell McAndrew - The face of Lara Croft, from Tomb Raider, 1998-1999

External links

• Non-profit model site providing free info on promotional modelling
• RaceQueen.org (English Language)
• Picture Galleries
• Booth Babes Banned From E3 (24/01/2006 11:51)
• Atropos - Gallery of Atropos, a promotional costumed Model & Event Hostess based in the midwest.