Come again: Auto show or fashion show?
By Angela Forgeron, Sympatico/MSN Autos
The itinerary read: "Lamborghini Fashion Show." Not exactly what journalists expect at a major international auto show.
The writers, bloggers and TV personalities are used to see cars coming down the catwalk - not models. (Though models have a more prominent role, posing next to cars at this year's show - see The real show stopper: The babes.)
With a few thousand (mostly male) journalists gathered around the Lambo stand, the lights dimmed, three massive TV screens positioned behind the three supercars on the stand came to life and the music blared like a Paris couture show.
Then, one by one, out marched the girls, prancing around, twisting, posing and seducing the cameras -- all while sashaying between the Lambos. There were three female models, all equally attractive, and a lone male model -- poor guy -- who elicited laughs from the crowd (keep in mind: auto show preview days are one of the only events I've ever been to where men wait in line for the loo while women waltz in and take their pick of water closet).
After the show - which abruptly ended after exactly five minutes of modelling - I prodded the young, frazzled male attendant behind a counter of Lambo goods. Any info about the clothing line? "No, he apologized." I pointed to a deck of cards. "Is that the cheapest way I can own a piece of Lambo?" I asked. "They're $33," he said. "The most affordable item is the lanyard, it's $10."
While nobody was buying any of the gear, the media were definitely attentive during the show. It was so successful, in fact, it ran a few more times yesterday ... and today, on Day Three (there are a handful of journalists left at the show), Lambo is running encores of its "fashion show."
Posted by: James | 2009-01-13 8:14:21 PM
I guess they needed to flash it up a bit...I'm sure most of the journalist were not complaining..
Posted by: Steve | 2009-01-20 7:07:38 PM
I LOVE "the concept" of female models at auto shows. Sadly the North American Auto show experience tends to be populated by Models more bitter than a 3x divorced, 50 year old ex-trophy wives. From your description of the attendant behind the counter as well it would seem that all their models see no irony in their behavior with regards to their present "people's car" owner's philosophy.
Priceless.