The Body Shop’s PR team tackled what many would consider to be a
pretty tough job last week. It’s a challenge at the best of times
turning a character into a celebrity personality, but what do you do
when your client is a mannequin?
And the task gets even harder when your mannequin is trying to compete
for attention with Linor Abargil, the Israeli ballet dancer who was
crowned Miss World last week.
The mannequin’s name is Ruby and she claims to be the Real Miss
World.
The brainchild of The Body Shop publicity machine, she was launched last
year to promote images of real women, and now she is challenging the
’unrealistic vision of beauty promoted by pageants like Miss World’. Her
message to the world is ’know your mind, love your body’. She was
protesting in her powder blue, limited edition Nissan Figaro outside
Channel 5’s offices in London last week, as it geared up to broadcast
the Miss World contest.
Body Shop global PR manager Dara Grogan said: ’We are trying to turn her
into a celebrity so that she can shout about things we want her to shout
about. But obviously she doesn’t give interviews.’