Delightful little humans are bringing a magical sparkle to the modelling industry, so what’s it like working with babies and children? Models Direct are looking at tiny tots through to inquisitive toddlers and how it is working with them on set. So without further ado, let’s zoom in and analyse.
First off, we can’t help but state the obvious – babies and children are incredibly cute! They’re endearing, likeable and relatable which means they have the power to draw strong responses and leave a lasting impression on viewers. They may remind us of our children or when we were kids ourselves. Whatever the source of connection is, they pull at our heartstrings and evoke positive emotions, which is why thousands if not millions of businesses and brands have put them in the spotlight as part of their marketing campaigns.
Think of giant companies such as Fairy, Evian and Pampers – they’ve had wonderful campaigns promoting their products with the help of tiny hands and feet, exploring the world and performing some incredible moves on roller skates (Who’d have thought what babies get up to when we’re not about, eh?).
Why do babies and children create successful campaigns?
Babies and children can create a positive association with a brand’s product or service and help escalate brand loyalty to reach new heights due to the meaningful connections that are made with their innocent, playful and imaginative behaviour. It’s also interesting to know that a baby’s innocence and vulnerability can make a marketing campaign appear more honest and reliable. The “baby schema” response in adults can really be captured which can bring out the nurturing and caretaking traits in us, bringing us, even more, closer to a brand. Their natural spark can really make a big difference to a marketing campaign’s imagery.
So, what’s it like on set?
No doubt, it can be challenging at times. Babies and children have short attention spans, are still developing, constantly learning, and can be cheekily unpredictable. Their movements and expressions will not be controlled like an older model’s so there’s room for spontaneity and lots of unexpected fun and amusing moments, where one of these bloopers may get captured and make it on the big screen, digital or in print (or all three!).
Plenty of patience and flexibility is involved in this category of modelling, so photographers and videographers will need to have a plan for how to handle those unexpected moments and embrace the challenge because great things sometimes don’t always go to plan.
For babies and children, the art of modelling is a great skill to master. So even from a young age, they can become accustomed to the flashing lights and hubbub of the sounds around them. They can also express their creativity as they get older and increase their exposure.
The roundup
There’s never a dull moment when it comes to baby and child modelling. How do we know? Because we’re Models Direct, a diversity and inclusivity embracing talent and modelling agency with thirty years of experience to back us up, that’s why! We’ve had so many baby and child model requests over the years and luckily our models have had the chance to explore this niche and make the best out of each opportunity. Check out young Sephora’s mum’s feedback of her photoshoot with Portsmouth City Council as a great example of young models’ work with our team.
