Posted by Jim on August 04, 2010 at 11:27 [70.249.208.178]
In Reply to: NEED HELP finding a story! posted by Me on August 03, 2010 at 22:29
Diapers for Jessica
Chapter 27
The energy could be cut with a knife it was so dense as one hundred girls
toddled into the huge lecture hall on that beautiful Friday afternoon for
what some girls considered to be the highlight of the conference:
Modeling in Diapers. Settling into their seats, each girl found before
her a folder containing sample photos and video commercial scripts from
the portfolios of several different models, along with an outline for the
presentation and a modeling release form.
“This is going to be awesome!” exclaimed Jasmine. “Just imagine! We
could be in commercials!”
“Good afternoon, My name is Amanda Jameson, and I will be your instructor
and coach for this session,” said the vibrant twenty-four-year-old woman
in the front of the room. “As you are all hopefully aware, this course
will meet today as well as on Monday.
“Today, in this three-hour session, we will cover the basics of diaper
modeling that you must know in order to be successful. We will discuss
two modeling in terms of two different media: television and magazine
ads. Using Pampers’ philosophy of advertising, we will focus on their
target group for three different products in the Pampers Princess line:
Pampers Princess Ultra-thin, Pampers Princess ultra-thick, and Pampers
Princess Sport. The target group, as might be blatantly obvious, is young
women ages roughly from thirteen to twenty-one. A small proportion of the
initiative, the Pampers Princess ultra-thick product, is geared
specifically towards teen baby girls who already like wearing diapers and
who want amore babyish feel through a thicker diaper and a name they
trust. The Pampers Princess Sport diapers are being marketed mostly to
girls who either already diapers or are just starting. The bulk of these
advertisements, however, are geared towards young women who do not already
wear diapers, but whom we feel could benefit from them.
“Wow, this is pretty serious stuff,” Jessica whispered to Hannah, who was
sitting next to her.
“Yeah no kidding; here I thought we’d just show up smile for the camera
and go along on our merry way,” Hannah whispered back.
“Over the weekend,” Ms. Jameson continued, “you are invited to get
hands-on experience with diaper modeling. You may sign up for slots up to
six hours in length with one of the fifty photographers that have provided
their services for the conference. Each has been well-trained in the
subtle art of diaper photography; you can rest assured that you will look
your best while wearing Pampers Princess. We have also furnished
twenty-five rooms as nurseries and twenty-five rooms to be more
teen-looking, so you should have ample opportunity to do as many different
shoots as you would like during your time slot. We also may be able to
arrange to do some shoots outside, weather-permitting.
“You will also be able to choose from an enormous variety of costumes and
outfits we have acquired from a local costume shop. To top that, we have
several beauticians capable of giving you just about any look you can
imagine. Please begin thinking about what types of modeling you would like
to do during this session as we talk about different ideas and I will have
a sign-up sheet posted as you leave so that you can sign up for a time and
throw down some concept ideas.
“One thing you will want to think about is what media you wish to model
for. We have both video and still modeling available. You can most
certainly do both. In fact, we would probably encourage that you do both,
because it gives you a feel for how they are different and, should you
consider a career as a model, it is important to be capable of both forms
of modeling. There are sample scripts in the back of your packet, and you
can create your own. They are not very complex, but rather straight and
to the point claims that our diaper enables this person to do this like
never before, or something like that.
“All of that said, let us get one bit of paperwork out of the way before
we get down to business. In the folder on your desks you will find a
model release form. Basically what this says, as you can read it for
yourselves, is that any and all photos taken of you during the shoot
become the property of Pampers and may be used for marketing the products
featured. You will be provided with copies of your work for your own use,
but the copyright of the photos will belong to Pampers. If you do not
sign this form, unfortunately, we will not be able to photograph you. If
you do not wish to be photographed, you may still attend this session and
get conference credit for it, but you may not participate in the actual
shoot. So, those of you who are willing to allow Pampers to use your
photos, please read through the agreement and then sign and date on the
line by the “x.” Then, if you’ll kindly pass the signed forms to your
left, we’ll get on with this presentation.”
The total silence as each girl read over the contract was suddenly broken
like a spring torrent with the cacophony of pens hitting paper. The
agreements signed, they were passed to the end of the row.
“Now, as I’m sure you’ve all had enough of my voice, I’m going to show you
prototype video advertisements for each of the three products we’re
currently working on, Princess, ultra-thin, Princess ultra-thick, and
Princess Sport.
Ms. Jameson flicked a light switch and two-thirds of the lights in the
room turned off. On the video screen, the Pampers Princess logo faded in.
When it faded back out, a woman in her mid-forties appeared.
“Hi, I’m Elizabeth Strix, and I’m seventeen years old. This past
Halloween, I decided I was going to go trick-or-treating dressed as a
baby. A week before, mom helped me find an old pacifier and a bib lying
around the house from when my younger sister was a baby, and she sewed me
a bonnet. It was cute, but I felt like something was missing. Finally,
Halloween arrived and, since I couldn’t put my finger on what made my
costume incomplete, I resigned myself to wearing my bonnet and bib with a
pair of overalls I found. That was, at least, until Mom came home from
work.
‘You’re not going out of the house like that, young lady,’ she said
crossly.
‘But why not?!?’ I asked, ‘I thought we agreed I could go as a baby!’ I
protested.
‘We did,’ she said, ‘and you can, but not unless you’re wearing one of
these,’ she said, tossing me the package of Ultra-Thick Pampers Princess.
Of course! Diapers! How could I have forgotten? So Mom helped me into
the ultra-thick, soft diaper. It felt so good!
‘There, now you’re ready for trick-or-treating. You look like and feel
like a baby, which is what you want,’ Mom said, ‘plus you can be out for a
long time and not need a bathroom break, and I don’t have to worry about
you leaking, because Pampers Princess Ultra-Thick are super-absorbent with
new and improved leak-guards, which is what I want, because new Pampers
Princess Ultra-Thick are for babies of all ages.’
‘Thanks, Mommy, and thank YOU, Pampers!’”
“As you can see,” Ms. Jameson began, “this advertisement is sort of a
blend between one for a girl who already wears diapers and one who
doesn’t, because we can’t tell which girl Elizabeth is. What she does
tell us, however, is that her Pampers complete her baby costume by making
her look and feel like a baby because they’re thick and soft. And her
mother tells us that she no longer has to worry about leaks.
“Now let’s take a look at a different strategy. This next ad is for the
Princess Sport. These ads target teens for whom diapers can make sports
more enjoyable. This ad in particular features a girl who already wears
diapers, as you will see.”
A new, Pampers Princess Sport logo, flashed on the screen; when it faded,
the camera focused in on two girls standing on opposite sides of a tennis
net, racquets in hand.
“’Lauren,’” the girl on the left asked, “’ how is it that every time we
play tennis you never need a bathroom break? I feel like every twenty
minutes or so I need to pee and you never seem to use the bathroom!’”
“’Oh Amanda, the answer is simple: Pampers Princess Sport,” Lauren
smiled.
“’Pampers? You mean like diapers?’” Amanda asked bewildered, “’aren’t you
a little old for diapers?’”
’These aren’t just any diapers, Amanda,’” Lauren said, lifting the back of
her skirt to show Amanda her diaper, “’these are Pampers Princess Sport, a
diaper designed just for active young women like us who love our game and
hate to interrupt it for something as mundane as the bathroom. A new
design featuring a breathable yet leak-proof shell, Pampers Princess Sport
diapers allow your skin to breathe, thus preventing the chances of a rash,
all the while doing precisely what a diaper is supposed to do. And, the
best part is that I barely know I’m wearing it feels so soft.’
’Wow, Lauren, I had no idea! Do you have an extra I could try for the
next set?’
‘Of course I do, Amanda!’”
The current scene faded out and the image of the end of the current set
faded in.
“’Match Point!’” Amanda called, holding the ball against the racquet and
preparing to serve. She tossed the ball into the air and executed a
beautiful overhand serve that Lauren wasn’t quick enough to make the
return.
“’Wow, Amanda, that’s the best I’ve ever seen you play!’” Lauren said.
“’Yeah, I guess I just needed a little extra support. Thank you,
Pampers!’”
Onto the screen faded a picture of a package of Pampers Princess Sport,
underneath which were printed the words “Pampers: Improving the game of
young women since they were born, simply.”
“Here you can see,” said Ms. Jameson, “that Pampers is trying to sell
diapers to young female athletes as a method of improving their game, as
the ad clearly states. You can also see two friends, Lauren, who wears
diapers, and Amanda who, in the beginning, does not. The ad claims that
it is not only ok for teens to wear diapers, but that it can be an
improvement in their lives. So these are the kinds of things we are
looking for in our advertising campaigns, and also the things you will see
in the sample scripts provided in your packets.
“Many of the print ads you see in your packets are still advertisements
from magazines taken directly from the video ads you see. Studies show
that our target audience will be better reached through television than
through print ads, but they are both necessary because we don’t want to
leave one front uncovered. However, a lot of the still work you’ll be
doing will be derivative from the videos. One reason for this is that it
will save you time. You will be able to do still photography in the same
costumes from your videos. Plus it enables us to basically reuse the ads
in a new medium. This next ad we’re going to look at is also for Princess
Sport, but approaches the product from a different angle, targeting girls
who already wear Princess diapers.
“’Hi, my name is Heather Wakefield,’” said a tall, slender young
brown-haired woman straddling a chair, wearing a Pampers Princess t-shirt
and a diaper. “’Being a teenage girl is really hard work. As if that’s
not enough stress, I’m captain of my cheerleading squad and class
president as well! There’s so much maintenance. I feel like I’m
constantly checking my make-up, trying to keep up with the latest
fashions. Luckily, one thing is constant in my life, and that is the
comfort and protection that I have come to count on from Pampers Princess
brand diapers. Whether I’m wearing the Ultra-Thick because my inner baby
is feeling needy or the Ultra-Thin because I’m trying to be an adult but
still need some protection, Pampers Princess takes very good care of me.
And, now they’ve introduced Pampers Princess Sport for the active girl.
No longer will I have to wear panties to cheerleading practice or a game
and worry about having an accident, because Pampers Princess Sport diapers
feature a breathable fabric that will let fresh air in without letting
moisture escape, without sacrificing their capacity. I wear my Pampers
Princess Sport to cheerleading or any other workout because I know that I
can push myself as hard as I want, Pampers Princess Sport are designed to
help prevent a diaper rash. So whether you want to feel more like a baby
or get more out of your game, pick up a package of Pampers Princess today
and focus on the more important things in life.’”
“Now that we’ve talked about the three different ad campaigns and seen
three different examples of the advertisements in each category, I want
you to break into small groups and start brainstorming ideas about what
you might do to make your advertisements unique. You should begin by
selecting your target demographic, which should include at least age
group, and can be extended to include certain activities. Then you should
think about how big the cast of your ad is going to be. The ads you’ve
seen so far have featured one and two girls, but the cast can be larger;
just make sure that you differentiate between the “star” of the ad and the
“ensemble” of the ad. So, I’d like to take the next half hour and have
you start brainstorming. While you’re breaking into groups I will pass
out paper and pens. I’ll also put a list of available costumes, for those
who are interested, up on the board.
“Oh my God! This is going to be the best ever!” said Jessica, eager to
begin.
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