F1 wants grid girls, but it's all about hot pants and swimsuits

Airtel released an advertisement on Saturday morning in major newspapers calling for applications for ‘Grid Girls’ for the Formula 1 Airtel Grand Prix of India.

How do you become one? It’s easy; upload your profile at www.airtel.in/formula1 , says the ad. After a few innocuous questions, come the deciders. The ad did, of course, ask for applicants to be “fit, glamorous”.

Airtel needs your vital statistics. Height, weight, bust, waist.  Of course, they need your photographs as well, a close-up headshot — one with no make-up and hair pulled away from the face and one with make-up, hair still pulled away from the face — and a full-length shot.

Before you do that, though, do look at the terms and conditions. Some are routine, for a contest like this. For example, you have to be a FEMALE, as they’re looking for Grid Girls.

So you upload your profile, and, if you make the cut, you could be flagging off the F1 race!

Hold on, conditions apply. You need to know how to SWIM. That’s a required skill to flag off a race?

The other requirements are: “Contestants shall be required to wear various costumes/outfits during the course of participation in the auditions and Reality Programme. For the auditions, it is mandatory that the Contestants wear T-backs/ racer backs and hot pants. During the Reality Programme, the Contestants would be required to wear swim suits/bikinis. For the Reality Programme, it is also mandatory for the Contestant to know how to swim, as she shall compulsorily participate in the Swim-suit round. The contestants are also requested to carry any costumes that they wish to use to enhance their look. However usage of these costumes is subject to approval by the programme producer/channel. It is advisable to carry the required changes of clothes – which you think make you look good — just in case the ones you are wearing for the shoot are not camera-friendly.”

Oh. One thought Grid Girls would qualify if they could just walk; I’ve never seen a swimming pool on a Formula 1 broadcast. There’s obviously more to being a Grid Girl than the grid.

So, it’s not a hunt for a Grid Girl, after all, it’s a reality show of beautiful women, a show that will air on Zoom TV.

Except, it’s more than that. You could become a model in perpetuity – and not get paid for it. “The company shall be at liberty to use, license and exploit both commercially and non-commercially in perpetuity worldwide through any means media and technology known now and invented hereafter all information (audio, video, footage, photographs etc.), including but not limited to any photographs submitted by all/any contestant and the organisers shall not be liable to make payment of any compensation or royalty of any nature towards the usage of the same. The organisers shall remain the sole and exclusive owners of all the intellectual property rights in the same,” says the site.

They’ve used the word “exploit”. I’ve nothing to add.

Zoom TV has also anticipated ambush marketing by other brands who might seek to, er, exploit the opportunity. Take a look at a couple of questions on their FAQs.

Q) What do I have to wear? Any specifics?

You can wear anything to the venue, but during the audition, it’s mandatory to wear T Backs/ Racer Backs and hot pants.

Q) Any specific colour?

Any colour is permitted, however it is mandatory to avoid any frontal visible branding such as Reebok, Nike, etc.”

It is “mandatory to avoid”.

Oh, well. There’s only one question that I had, after learning that Grid Girls needed to know how to swim and had to wear hot pants.

Q) What would the grid girls do at the Airtel Grand Prix of India?

The parameters of association with Bharti Airtel Limited shall be determined by Bharti Airtel Ltd through a separate agreement to be signed between Bharti Airtel Ltd and eligible winners and shall be subject to any conditions that might be specified by Bharti Airtel Ltd in that regard.”

Huh? I’d take a long, hard look at the terms and conditions before I sent in my profile.

And the clincher, coming from a telecom company, is this one:

Q) Can I use my mobile phone or laptop during my stay in the House?

“No contestants will be allowed to use mobiles or laptops during their stay.”