Hello ladies,

I was having this conversation with a new friend last night and thought I'd open it up to you.. Definitely not trying to make anyone feel uncomfortable, regardless of your personal views, but thought a ..positive, constructive.. discussion might be interesting and beneficial especially as warmer weather is right around the corner!

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How do you feel about the promotions that require you to dress in a more revealing manner (ie. bikinis, mini skirts and cropped tops, etc)?

Do you think (or have you found) that having that particular kind of experience on your resume makes you more/less desirable to marketing agencies especially for management positions down the road? When a job asks for pictures from past events, are those the kind of pictures you'd send for typical staff or management positions? Do you, as a policy, always choose not to do these kinds of events or are these promotions just like any other for you (you may or may not participate - attire holds no weight in your decision)?

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PS. We had views from both ends of the spectrum in our conversation from "totally unprofessional and a strike against you" to "generally accepted as typical for ladies in this industry and adding to your range of experience".. What do y'all think?

Wow, that's a huge can of worms... Thank goodness it's in the women's only area and I can't comment. LOL

Great topic! I personally don't have a problem with wearing something like a tank top and mini skirt, but would stay away from promotions involving wearing a bikini. Just because of the creep factor at that type of promo. If someone was thinking about getting into the management positions in the future, it would probably look bad to some companies. Maybe others would be more open minded, though.

Great topic indeed. I personally don't have a problem with mini shirts ot tank tops either. I would feel uncomfortable with the bikini thing though. I take it as wearing a costume for a gig. The bikini costume, for me, is good only for theme photo shoots. That's where I feel most comfortable with it.

Have you ever noticed the bikini costumes have absolutely nothing to do with the brand? Somewhere along the lines of, "Try our minty fresh tootpaste" or "Spam in a can anyone?" The only time it ever made sense to me was at the APBA boat races in Detroit, but even then it was for an insurance company, not Nautica.

I personally won't do something like that only because I'm 19 (I'm young, I know) and I hate it when old men hit on me.

Hey Keri.... What's your sign? :)

Well Ben, I'm a cancer and us cancers love our CopperTone Sunblock (Hands you a free sample) :)

Keri,
Thanks! that was hilarious... See, it isn't always bad when old men hit on you. LOL

HMMM,

Girls in Bikinis, Crop tops, and Mini skirts are old school...(Said the guy from Miami)
The ones that concern me are the ones doing beer and liquor promos in body paint for 20-25 bucks an hour. Where are your parents, and didn't they teach you anything?

If your going to do this, the pay rate is actually a lot higher and your selling yourself short...Multiply by 3 when accepting these jobs.... Ladies...?!

i agree if your going to do all of that.

OMG! The body paint thing is way off for me. Like I said before, I may do it for a photo shoot, but not a promo. I once saw one that were using girls for something called "Naked Sushi" where the girls were practically nude with leaves placed on the private areas as garnish with sushi on top of them while people ate the sushi off of them. Can you say Yipes!!!!?

I've played the sexy girl role at promos many times and have had some of the most fun of my life at some of those. In general, these pay better than staff promo jobs (and you get treated better!) If someone has the looks and body to get out there in a bikini top and shorts at golf tournament for a brand- you will be making quite a bit more than a BA position in khaki pants/baggy tshirt wearing a backpack filled with samples.

I agree with G- dont short change yourself on the rate if possible. $20/hour for booty shorts and a bikini top in a nightclub isnt acceptable.

If I'm applying to manage a promo, of course I send pics that are appropriate for that position, in the same way that I have certain resumes that I send for certain types of jobs.

I dont think doing the sexy girl promos has hurt me in the promotional marketing world. Now, if I was going to get a REAL job that might me another story. . . .

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