American Swan unites beauty and blog

The fashion and lifestyle brand has kickstarted an online reality show.

Fashion and lifestyle brand American Swan in association with Famebox has launched a first-of-its-kind, digitally-driven online reality show, Beauty & the Blogger.

The show makes style and glamour join hands with social media. The show will shortlist and team up aspiring models with blogging enthusiasts to be able to showcase their talent and compete for the online viewers' attention. Registrations for the first round of entries to the contest are currently open and the show format is an apt amalgamation of talent and beauty, which connects with and caters to the dynamic, fashion-savvy youth.

Speaking about the initiative, Anurag Rajpal, director and CEO, American Swan, says, "American Swan has conceptualised this unique format that brings together the youth on two very viable themes or passions: glamour and social media. This is a compelling idea that we are confident will not just catch the attention and mind space of GenY, but will also create a very high engagement with the brand in the digital medium. The final winners are chosen basis their social influence and the buzz they create, which democratises the selection process thereby empowering the online audience."

Selected through an audition and shortlist process, eight bloggers will be paired with eight models to compete for the finals. These teams will be pitted against each other for a three-day challenge series set against a beach resort, wherein they will compete on social media in real time. While the models bring in the glamour quotient, the bloggers will create social buzz for their teammates through pictures, videos and real time updates. Video content created through the contest will be uploaded across social media platforms including an exclusive YouTube channel.

The event will see celebrities such as VJ Cyrus Sahukar and VJ and actor Anushka Dandekar, who will mentor the models while acclaimed fashion and social influencer Miss Malini will guide the blogging enthusiasts.

The winning duo will be crowned the 2014 face of American Swan and the social media brand ambassador for the brand. The winning team will also get to take home a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and an uber-chic American Swan wardrobe worth Rs 1 lakh each. TRESemmé salon-quality hair care product and Lakme, the cosmetics and skincare brand, are the associate sponsors of the event.

The event allows the finalists and the winning team to host their own exclusive channel on YouTube under the Beauty & the Blogger banner, which will be powered by Famebox. The event finale will see the launch of the American Swan swimwear collection marked by international designs and styles. The brand and its casual wear collections have been well-received and the swimwear collection is an effort to expand the brand's offering into relevant categories for the urban, youth-led audience.

The event is an extension of American Swan's brand ethos, which resonates with the young achievers in providing suitable opportunities to the connected youth through the potent medium of social media. Famebox, a multichannel online platform for promoting talent through digital video content, has joined forces with the brand to execute this event.