Sex still sells at SEMA
Show's warning falls on deaf ears

NIKA ROLCZEWSKI - ( contributing editor: M Louli)
SPECIAL TO THE STAR

AS VEGAS: A warning sent to exhibitors at last week's Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas told exhibitors that "flip-flops, tank tops, cut-offs, bathing suits, thongs, lingerie, excessively short skirts, transparent apparel or workout clothing are prohibited."

You would have had better luck parting the Red Sea than making sure that rule was followed — as it turned out, the annual aftermarket trade show, which has traditionally been a mixture of shiny chrome and skin, displayed enough silicone this year to caulk all the bathtubs in the GTA.

It would be foolish to think women and cars do not go together — throughout motoring history, the two have been the proverbial "peas and carrots."

But do scantily-clad women actually increase sales in the automotive industry? There is no simple answer.

Given the number of bikinis hovering over street rods, hot rods and import racers at the 2005 SEMA show, you might think the answer was a clear Yes.

One of the exhibitors, Drew Heitner, owner of M&D International, expressed his thoughts on the matter succinctly: "A woman judges her man by the car he drives, but a man judges his car by the women it attracts." Perhaps not surprisingly, Heitner sells Fast Women, a new line of hot-rod babes in 1:18 (and soon a 1:24) scale for your model car collection. Candy, Mitzi and Layla, moulded in provocative positions and placed randomly on and around the cars can make each one in your garage or display case the centre of attention.

Heitner, who's from Plantation, Fla., seems to offer a way of turning any car into a chick magnet, even if you own a less desirable vehicle (such as an AMC Hornet, like my colleague Jim Kenzie). Though the "chicks" would obviously be smaller-than-life.

Many exhibitors used life-size models to sell their wares.

"Do you change your own oil?" I asked Jennifer, who was representing a major oil company. She conceded that her father, a trucker, actually took care of her car's maintenance.

But as a trained marketing representative, she eagerly added, "If I would (change my oil), I would certainly use Castrol." That was, after all, the logo on her shirt.

Jennifer's enthusiasm was at least refreshing: other models looked bored as they signed their 5,000th poster.

No matter what, there were men standing in line, drool in check, waiting for an autograph of Miss California, Miss Arizona ... or just Miss Whatever.

Greg Ghelfi of True Flow filters agrees that a pretty woman does bring people into the display and he doesn't see the industry changing much, although even he couldn't tell me how many of his display's visitors were potential customers.

Heather, a True Flow model with an infectious smile, fully understood "her role" and tried her best to be a good representative for the company. Men, both young and old, stood in line for a moment of chit-chat and a signed poster.

While 36DD and air filters have nothing in common, the poster she's on will hang in some shop or garage where the brand's name will be in full view.

Meanwhile, Pirelli Tires, yet again, had some of the most attractive young women at the show adorn their booth. Their purpose was to smile and make coffee — a valuable task I am thankful for after the many hours spent wandering the exhibition.

As I grabbed my espresso, I didn't dwell on the server's beauty, but on the simple yet elegant display.

It served as a reminder that tasteful and tasteless are two different approaches to marketing, but whichever strategy you choose, you have to remember the fundamentals.

Rule No. 1: Know your product. If there is a demand and the quality is there, your product will sell.

Rule No. 2: Know your customer. If the testosterone crowd is your buyer and you want to ignore the rest of the population, then go for it. But never underestimate the female buyer — we play an important part in automotive decisions and are the fastest growing sector in the auto area.

I am not a feminist. I am a female car enthusiast. My argument is not to sever that century-old partnership of beautiful women and beautiful cars. But I do want companies to use some taste and discretion when placing the two together.

Sex appeal and car parts are not synonymous. If your spark plug lacks spark and your piston is short on finesse, there are other ways to garner attention — creative marketing doesn't need to be R-rated.

And after all, aren't cars sexy enough, without having to drape them in life-size Barbie dolls?

For more information on SEMA - visit their website at www.sema.org