Student a finalist in Playboy search
Jake Bridges
Issue date: 3/31/08 Section: News
A UCF student recently qualified in the top 10 for a national model search by Playboy's new mobile phone initiative, Playboy Mobile.
Kristen Wilson, a junior at UCF, was named a finalist in the Miss Playboy Mobile 2008 competition, the kickoff of a new marketing strategy that aims to broaden Playboy's reach to the expansive mobile phone network.
The competition was based completely online, and contestants had to submit non-nude photographs to the Playboy Mobile Web site to enter the contest. Each woman had her respective submissions posted on the Web site. To slim the field down to 10 finalists, participants had to pass through an online round of voting in which the public sent text message votes for their favorite contestant. The same format will be used for the final round of voting, as well.
It was no easy feat getting to the finals, Wilson said. She had to advertise and rally support for herself to beat out more than 1,000 submissions from across the U.S. Interestingly enough, she is one of three finalists from the state of Florida, said Playboy Director of Public Relations for Digital Media Lisa Hagendorf.
"The sunshine state is producing some beauties," Hagendorf said.
Just for being a finalist, Wilson will get an all-expense-paid trip to Las Vegas for the finals, which will be held at the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa at the Palms Casino Resort on April 2.
The winner of this event will be well-rewarded, Hagendorf said.
"She gets the bragging rights, a crown and a $5,000 cash prize. Plus, she gets an all-expense-paid trip to the Playboy Mansion for a professional photo shoot," Hagendorf said.
Though Wilson said she wants all the support she can get, the text votes will account for only 50 percent of the final decision. A panel of judges will have their say on who wins the crown to make up the other 50 percent.
Hagendorf said the judges will be evaluating the women based on categories such as beauty, poise and question response. This response will come from a question concerning Playboy's heritage and the contest itself, Hagendorf said.
Kristen Wilson, a junior at UCF, was named a finalist in the Miss Playboy Mobile 2008 competition, the kickoff of a new marketing strategy that aims to broaden Playboy's reach to the expansive mobile phone network.
The competition was based completely online, and contestants had to submit non-nude photographs to the Playboy Mobile Web site to enter the contest. Each woman had her respective submissions posted on the Web site. To slim the field down to 10 finalists, participants had to pass through an online round of voting in which the public sent text message votes for their favorite contestant. The same format will be used for the final round of voting, as well.
It was no easy feat getting to the finals, Wilson said. She had to advertise and rally support for herself to beat out more than 1,000 submissions from across the U.S. Interestingly enough, she is one of three finalists from the state of Florida, said Playboy Director of Public Relations for Digital Media Lisa Hagendorf.
"The sunshine state is producing some beauties," Hagendorf said.
Just for being a finalist, Wilson will get an all-expense-paid trip to Las Vegas for the finals, which will be held at the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa at the Palms Casino Resort on April 2.
The winner of this event will be well-rewarded, Hagendorf said.
"She gets the bragging rights, a crown and a $5,000 cash prize. Plus, she gets an all-expense-paid trip to the Playboy Mansion for a professional photo shoot," Hagendorf said.
Though Wilson said she wants all the support she can get, the text votes will account for only 50 percent of the final decision. A panel of judges will have their say on who wins the crown to make up the other 50 percent.
Hagendorf said the judges will be evaluating the women based on categories such as beauty, poise and question response. This response will come from a question concerning Playboy's heritage and the contest itself, Hagendorf said.