HSG

Last night saw the premiere of ANTM winner Whitney Thompson's third CoverGirl commercial, an ad that is very different from--and much more meaningful than--any typical cosmetics promotion.

The commercial begins as one might expect, with a lovely close-up of Whitney. She sports a girlish, braided hairstyle that makes her look adorable.

But then, the camera shows us something unexpected: a shot of Whitney joined by her close family.

Family turns out to be the theme of the commercial. The camera follows Whitney and her relatives as they board a New York sight-seeing bus.

The group is shown in a festive mood during their tour. In a voice-over, Whitney says,

I wouldn't be where I am without where I came from. My family is so important to me--especially my mom. She's such a big part of my life, and I couldn't have done all this without her support.

We see a close-up of Miss Thompson with her mother while Whitney speaks those lines--a close-up that shows off the gorgeous roundness of the model's facial features.

Whitney's voice-over continues:

She's always told me, if you're beautiful on the inside, you will radiate beauty on the outside. Having such a great support system has made me ready for whatever comes my way.

The conviviality and good spirits that emanate from Whitney and her family during this commercial (note the terrific smile below) indicate in what a close-knit, loving, and supportive environment she must have grown up, and how the values that she was raised with have given her the strength of character that she has today.

The commercial catches many touching glimpses of Whitney and her mother,

along with this lovely image of Miss Thompson with a dreamy look in her eyes, taking in the sights of the Big City--which is now her home.

The crowning touch is this lovely headshot of Whitney, with a warm, genial smile on her face.

The reunion with her family (whom she mentioned missing in her first CoverGirl commercial) has obviously lifted Whitney's spirits, and has given her the resolve that she needs to continue on her quest.

Perhaps most touching of all is the final shot, showing Whitney affixing to her refrigerator the photos of her family's visit, so that she will have these sweet memories always at hand. Anyone who has ever been away from home, pursuing their dream, can relate to this experience of missing your loved ones.

The commercial is a remarkably sincere and thoughtful presentation by CoverGirl, with no product placement whatsoever--just a heartfelt portrait of a model and her relationship to her family.

It is such a refreshing change from the degenerate and vulgar social image that the fashion industry usually presents, a wholesome and even tender picture showing what the fashion industry could be all about.

Much as CoverGirl merits praise for the aesthetic of its previous Whitney commercials, it deserves outright respect for the positive values of this one.

And Whitney is one of the few models who could sincerely present such a message, because it is a faithful depicture of her actual nature.

- Click here to view video

Emily

Very true. Watching this ad, I am moved by its sincerity. The fashion industry is usually rather down on family values, so to see a celebration of those themes is refreshing and encouraging.

And how appropriate that those values appear in a commercial featuring a plus-size model -- a model who represents a more natural ideal of beauty.

In both the choice of model and the theme of the ad, this is far superior to what the media usually produces, and I'm sure that it will resonate with viewers. Why doesn't the fashion industry adopt such an approach more often? Hopefully, this commercial will prompt other companies to follow suit.

Kaitlynn

It's a beautiful ad with a really positive message. I'm in awe of this entire CoverGirl TV series so far. Whitney accomplished miracles for this company, and bravo to them for showing her at her best- soft and pretty.

Here's another recent picture of Whitney that I discovered. Adorable face (that smile of hers is magical), and she does have curves (although fans like me will always hope for more). I just wish she tanned a little less.



I also found a page that has a collection of Whitney pictures, including three more from a recent shoot.

http://antm-iconic.livejournal.com/24493.html

The best of them are the following:







Whitney's most attractive figure feature is that she actually has some fullness in her thighs, which is why it's wonderful that a photographer decided to show off her shapely legs.