The end of the road for 'booth babes'

Known locally in Thailand as “The Pretty”, Booth Babes have a long and dark history in the sales industry, which is highlighted in this film created by Team X Thailand and produced by Dylan Films.

Motor shows have been featuring women as a selling point for decades (though in 2018, at the Geneva Motor Show many automakers did away with the outdated sales strategy) and in Thailand, several women have come forward to reveal some dark truths of the verbal and physical abuse that comes along with memorising car scripts, wearing short dresses and bright red lipstick, over the last thirty years.

With an aim to end this, Mercedes-Benz announced that they will no longer use “The Pretty” at car shows. The role will evolve to include all genders and eliminate the sexy attire, introducing a new and exciting digital interface that creates a safe and enjoyable environment for all car presenters.

"For years we've seen news stories where "pretty" has been the target of sexual harassment. We were glad to work on this with Mercedes-Benz; this is a great step on their part, and we hope that other automakers will follow, so we can finally end 30 years of "pretty" harassment once and for all," said Thasorn Boonyanate, Chief Creative Officer of Team X Thailand.