Promotional model

A promotional model at E3 2005 depicting Athena.

A promotional model is a person hired to help promote something, usually through their appearance or acting. The promotional model is the consumer's frontline connection to the product or service. The model presents information to the customer in a friendly, upbeat, and professional manner with the intent to attract customers. Models must have a positive, outgoing, and energetic personality.

Some assignments require working auto shows, boat shows, music concerts, sporting events, seasonal festivals, Convention events, distribute samples at local malls, stores, handing out promotional flyers, and also dressing up as a costume character. 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 semi-slang term referring to attractive persons hired specifically to draw attendees into the booths of commercial exhibitions. These persons 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, or E3, 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 projects.

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, and some have even created web sites with vast collections of booth babe photos from past E3 events. Other critics condemn the practice of using booth babes or challenge the objectifying of industry models.