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Courtesy of Elisa Chan Kit-ling
Sex and the artist
Elisa Chan shares her views on sexy ads
by Pauline Chu
Ordinary girls may feel shy to wear bikinis and strike sexy poses for the camera. Yet, in the eyes of Elisa Chan Kit-ling, a dynamic singer of the 1970s and 80s, making sexy gestures in advertisements is just part of the jobs for entertainers and sex appeal is an attribute that artists should possess.
The bubbly pop diva has recently appeared in an advertisement of a slimming centre that features her in a bra top and a miniskirt.
¡§I don't mind showing off my figure,¡¨ Ms Chan said.
¡§To a certain extent, I think sex appeal is okay. It's because when you're on stage or in front of the camera, you want to show off your beauty or sex appeal. I don't think there's any harm.
¡§As an entertainer, you have to possess appeal, to have flair and to dress up nicely on the screen.¡¨
Ms Chan pointed out that artists did not always have control over the production of advertisements and they might be required to make sexy gestures even though they did not want to do so.
¡§Sometimes you have to consider what your clients want and have to satisfy the advertisers or advertising agencies who usually have lots of ideas. This is the difficult part ¡V it's not what you want to do, but it's what you can do to satisfy them,¡¨ she said.
Apart from meeting the demand of the advertisers, sometimes performers also have to fit in with the production teams.
¡§There is something you can't control¡Klike their (producers') artwork. It's important to look at the team you're working with because people like photographers, make-up artists and hairstylists can help you (to achieve what you want).
¡§But sometimes they may have their own opinions on how things should be done and therefore the finished advertisements may not turn out the way you want it to.¡¨
While sexy advertisements c an help advertisers promote their products more effectively, they c an also bring the artists fortune and fame, Ms Chan said.
She pointed out that sexy advertisements provided the artists, especially those who are less popular, with a chance of exposure.
¡§A lot of songs sung by artists today are used for promoting products, and at the same time, it's the product that helps sell a song. They can use these commercials to launch their albums as well as their careers. So now, more celebrities want to do these types of ads.¡¨
Handsome reward is another factor that attracts artists to do sexy advertisements.
¡§Besides considering whether a commercial is suitable for an artist, I think the amount of reward is also an important consideration.¡¨
The pay will usually depend on the popularity of an artist. ¡§If a company is eager to hire a prominent artist, it may allow the artist to ask for a price ¡K If the company can pay for it, then the artist will do the job. Otherwise, the artist will go for other choices.¡¨
She said the amount of reward depended on how the background of an artist could help advertise the product.
Whether artists in sexy advertisements are really appealing is a matter of personal opinion, but Ms Chan considers that artists who perform in an exaggerating way will affect their charm.
¡§Personally, I don't really like it when artists overdo the sex appeal. I think it's too much. When you're exposed, there's no imagination left and you won't have that sex appeal,¡¨ Ms Chan said.
To be sexy, charming and beautiful, Ms Chan said that one must start with self-recognition.
¡§You have to know yourself better than other people.¡¨ And perhaps the secret of success lies within her words: ¡§with a touch of class and a touch of taste¡¨.
