It's possible I am just a cynic. A big stick in the mud, Debbie Downer, etc. Or it's possible I have worked in the advertising business too long and know all the tricky little maneuvers used by marketers to snag your email address, attention, loyalty, or (insert other means of pilfering the precious little money your daycare provider hasn't usurped). I'm talking about the cutest baby contest, Gerber Baby contest, Gap Model Call, and other gimmicky, if not creepy, contests swarming the internet as we approach the (what a coincidence) holiday season.
Don't get me wrong. My kid is cute. I am his mother, so I am allowed to make such brazen statements without a shread of modesty or guilt. Of course I'm tempted to enter one of the thousand adorable candids of my toddler that are lying around on my hard drive. I mean, what if he won? How would I parent a child star differently and avoid all the mistakes of every Dina Lohan cautionary tale in Hollywood? Should I rethink a little light cosmetic surgery in case I end up in People? But as I navigate to the special section of the Gap site for contest details, I couldn't help but notice how orchestrated it all is.
There are thousands of pictures on the site representing the thousands of parents who, after facing a momentary temptation, yielded to said temptation, gave in and hit the Submit button. As a marekter I know the value to the Gap of all the people who visited the contest page and spent hours deciding between the picture of little Dexter eating peas in his Gap jeans or the one where his t-shirt says GAP across the front. The value equates to something like the cost of umpteen web designers, a 7-8 figure agency retainer, countless executive salaries, a champagne launch party, and you get the idea. So the "models" must be paid well right?
Of course. The prize is a gift card. A GIFT CARD! Albeit a $1000 gift card, but how long is that going to last with a toddler who outgrows a pair of shoes practically every week? I'd rather have the cash to pay for diapers, but I looked into it, there isn't a cash option and the Gap doesn't sell diapers - yet. I couldn't help but wonder, is this how Kate Moss embarked on her career as a model? Or Cindy Crawford, although it does seem to be how some supermodels' careers end. Rooms to Go? Really, Cindy? Really?
And don't even get me started on the creepy factor. My kid's Grandparents have to use a password to see my son's online photos. I'm just not comfortable putting his picture in what amounts to an online catalogue for the world to see. If he chooses a public life at some point, I'll happily support it. But I can't make that decision for him when he isn't yet capable of deciding what to eat for breakfast. Besides, it's my job to protect him from pedophiles, creeps, and of course, marketers. For now my son's modeling career will have to remain limited to opportune snaps of him eating peas in whatever brand of jeans fits him today.
