Foreign models upstage locals in ads

Indian modeling agencies hiring, foreign models for photo-shoots

and positioning products with an international outlook have been increasing of late. More and more white models are lining up before to promote Indian brands, as smaller companies opt for them to make it big and make an impact. Though India is considered as a market for the future in fashion and lifestyle, foreign models are increasingly being used to promote Indian brands. Most of these models are represented by a mother agency and are offered a good sum for representation by their Indian counterparts. They come from countries like Russian, CIS countries, and sometimes from Europe and Brazil. The agreement involves the model, the parent agency and the local talent agency in India.

India has around 500 frontline models today compared to about a 100 three years ago. Despite these big numbers, advertisers and companies continue to use foreign models in print and TV ads. What has helped these models find work in India is that Indians are still hung up on white skin and even now advertisers believe products are endorsed better by foreign models. Advertisers use foreign ads or ads featuring foreign models because Indians believe foreign products are better. The clincher is that foreign models charge 30 to 40 per cent less than Indian ones.