Industry jargon not your thing? Our glossary will enlighten you!
At first glance, the term "advertising face" may seem a little colloquial and flippant, but it has been in use in the industry for a long time. Advertising faces are models who lend their faces to a single product or service. This one product is therefore closely associated with this - and only this - face. The model acts as a brand ambassador.
The selection criteria for an advertising face are far less strict than for classic models.
The following factors are important:
Age: Age plays (virtually) no role for an advertising face. Young and older models are equally suitable for a career as an advertising face. The only important thing is that the face fits the product or the advertising company. Whether this is the case is ultimately determined by the customer.
Physique: Whether a model has ideal measurements or weighs a little more is irrelevant.
Flaws: An advertising face does not have to be flawless. On the contrary, certain peculiarities increase the recognition value and thus the level of awareness of the advertised product.
Agencies and clients looking for a suitable advertising face can therefore choose from a much larger pool than would be the case with a normal order.
New advertising faces with a strong character are always in high demand, which is why we at Jobwork also take care of the corresponding careers.
A good advertising face does not have to conform to the usual ideals of beauty. Charisma is much more important. The model must have something about her that attracts people in front of the screens, that makes her interesting. And this is not achieved through perfection. Certain flaws also have an interesting effect.
The advertising face should convey emotions and appeal to people on a certain level. In addition, the connection between the model and the advertised product must be credible. From this perspective, a male advertising face for women's hygiene products makes little sense.
Companies like to advertise with stars and starlets because these people already have a place in the public eye and are familiar to potential customers. The hope is that the emotional connection to the celebrity can be transferred to the product. In this sense, a certain celebrity status of an advertising face is very helpful.
However, this approach can also backfire. For example, in the eyes of many potential customers, Heidi Klum was the advertising face for too many different companies in the past. Her commitment seemed arbitrary, the emotional connection to the product untrustworthy. Another prominent example was Franz Beckenbauer. The soccer icon was supposed to act as the advertising face for a beer brand, but was too avuncular for potential customers.
The pay for an advertising face or brand ambassador is above average - and this is not at all surprising on closer inspection. The face is an extremely important part of the advertising strategy and creates the connection between the customer and the product. Accordingly, companies are prepared to spend a lot. In addition, the high fee is intended to prevent an advertising face from migrating to the competition and taking customers with them.
There are two ways to become an advertising face. Either a model scout discovers you or you apply directly to an agency. Most agencies now have a standardized way to apply online; you can find all the necessary information (What information is required? Which photos do you need to upload?) on the respective website.