Pantene & Zoom bring to India the International Elite Model Look Contest

Mumbai, India, November 12, 2004 (Xtvworld) -- From Procter & Gamble - the makers of Pantene, said Mr. Chester Twigg - Sales and Marketing Director, “Pantene has constantly led the way in beauty and innovation, be it via product breakthroughs such as the launching New Pantene with Amino Pro-V or the newest Indian faces in global fashion via the Elite Model Look! Pantene has been associated with Elite globally and having studied the evolution of the beauty industry in India, we felt the time was ripe to associate Pantene with this international property in India too and give our models the opportunity of winning million-dollar super-modeling contracts on the global stage.�

From Zoom, Mr. Arun Arora, CEO, Television Division, said “ZOOM is India’s first lifestyle and entertainment channel. It is skewed towards the intelligent and aspiring individuals. It will redefine entertainment viewing in India by increasing the scope of entertainment beyond movies, music and soaps. The Pantene Zoom Elite Model Look 2004 is one of the many steps in our endeavor to present the best in lifestyle and fashion viewing. Through this venture, our effort would be to create a launch pad for aspiring fresh Indian models, who would represent India at the prestigious international Elite Model Look 2004.

From Elite, Sushma Puri, Director & CEO, Elite Model Management, India said, “It will be our effort to try and establish through this event an annual feature that is pitched and managed at the highest level of excellence. As the world merges and becomes a seamless space, unique faces and looks that come from all corners are being sought after. India has a world of diversity and Elite Model Look will attempt to give these faces an opportunity to enter the world of international modeling�.

The Pantene Zoom Elite Model Look is the world’s premier beauty and fashion model search and is set to attract thousands of acclaimed and aspiring Indian beauties with the top 15 finalists being awarded One-year Contracts with Elite Model Management, India. The grand winner will represent India at the international finals being held over 10 days in Asia’s fashion capital of Shanghai where 15 international finalists will receive a dream come true two-year guaranteed, global modeling contract, worth over one million US dollars per year.

The Pantene Zoom Elite Model Look search began nationally on 4th November and contestants were selected through open auditions at Planet M outlets in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chandigarh.

The ‘Pantene Zoom Elite Model Look’ search will yield 25 contestants who will receive intensive training at the Elite School of Modeling in Delhi from 13th to 15th November, prior to the finals being held on 16th November 2004 at Jaypee Vasant Continental, New Delhi.

Michaela Goddard, Head of Scouting, Elite Worldwide, Paris, will head a jury comprising world-renowned photographers and other professionals from the industry where the Pantene Elite Model Look India Winner will represent the country alongside participants from over 50 countries at the international Elite Model Look being held in Shanghai on 2nd December 2004.

About Pantene
New Pantene with Amino Pro-V Complex is the only shampoo that deposits on to hair a unique combination of Pro-Vitamins and three essential Aminos that hair loses due to daily weathering, making hair ten times stronger, and restoring its lost beauty. It is available in five variants customized for individual needs: Pantene Smooth & Silky, Volume & Fullness, Long Black, Hair Fall Control, and Lively Clean at Rs. 98 for a 200ml. bottle; Rs. 51 for a 100ml. bottle and Rs. 3 for a 7.5ml sachet. New Pantene with Amino Pro-V Complex also comes with an all new refreshing exotic fruity fragrance called Asian Zest, created specially to suit Asian women.

About P&G Beauty Care
Two billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. P&G’s beauty business had more than $17 billion in global sales in fiscal year 2003/04, making it one of the world’s largest beauty companies. The beauty business sells more than 130 different brands in over 180 countries worldwide. Its beauty brands include Pantene®, Head and Shoulders®, Olay®, SK-II®, Max Factor®, Cover Girl®, Joy®, Hugo Boss®, Herbal Essences® and Clairol Nice ’n Easy®. Please visit www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

About Zoom
Zoom, India’s first glamour, lifestyle and celebrities television channel from Bennett Coleman Group, brings to its viewers the inside news on Bollywood, celebrity parties, edgy interviews, sizzling gossip, the biggest stars, tips to stay gorgeous and a lot more. Programming on Zoom spans across genres like celebrity chat shows, game shows, entertainment news magazines, stand-up comedies, film and music-based shows and fashion and lifestyle. The channel presents o bouquet of programs hosted by celebrities like Yana Gupta, Irrfan, Manish Malhotra Kamal Sidhu, Pooja Bedi, Simone Singh and Dipannita Sharma to name a few. With premium content, slick packaging and compelling marketing, Zoom aims to redefine television viewership in India.

About Elite Model Management
Elite has been the definitive name in the world of international modeling for over 30 years. Founded in the fashion capital of the world, Paris, Elite now has a presence in over 50 countries and towers above all others, as the largest modeling agency in the world.

India joined the Elite network in March 2003. Elite Model Management India represents exclusive Elite models only and currently has over a 100 models on exclusive contract.

For more information, please contact:
For Pantene:
Shweta Shukla Christopher Samuel / Michelle D’Souza / Cheryl Gomes
Procter & Gamble Madison Public Relations
+91 22 2826 7341 + 91 22 2826 6000 Extn. 7154 / 7130 / 2418 7074/6
shukla.s@pg.com samuel.c@pg,com/dsouza.m.1@pg.com/cheryl@sew.madisonindia.com

For Zoom:
Jyotika / Gina Ghosh
Image Public Relations
+ 91 22 24367699
9820122736 / 9819745154
jyotika@image-publicrelations.com; gina@image-publicrelations.com

For Elite:
Roopak Sharma
The Communication Council
011-24690164, 24653271
roopak@thecommunicationcouncil.com