Bikini photo shoot targets SA visitors |13 August 2005

The South African issue of the international sports magazine Sports Illustrated has brought its annual swim wear issue photo session to Seychelles, joined by a TV crew and radio station.

Speaking on Ste. Anne, where part of the shoot is taking place Aletha Carswell, one of the producers, described Seychelles as a great place to stage the magazine’s special issue.

“Seychelles is such a beautiful place, it’s got everything, the vegetation, sea, weather, the islands are pristine. It’s perfect for a swimwear shoot.”

Scheduled for release in November 2005 the South African Sports Illustrated swimwear issue will include a 112 page swimwear section, all of which is being shot around Mahe’s north coast, on North Island and Ste Anne.

In addition to the magazine, photographs from the shoot will also be used for a special issue calendar, on the Sports Illustrated website -which boasts 3,112,415 hits and 586,745 page impressions every six months- an airport poster campaign and two double-page spreads in “Huisgenoot” and “You” magazines, which have a combined weekly readership of over one million.

Accompanying the 13 swimwear models in Seychelles is a 40 strong crew including two DJs from South African national radio station 5FM who will be broadcasting live from Seychelles for one week.

TV coverage of the event will include spots on Mnet and Supersport and 30 minute TV promotions are due to be screened in October 2005 followed by PR coverage on TV talk shows and a 6 week cinema advertising campaign in South Africa.

“All of South Africa is hearing about Seychelles this week,” said Ms Carswell
She said that, as an “incentive market” for South African travellers, Seychelles represents the perfect place for the magazine shoot.

“There will be more and more awareness of Seychelles and, this being the largest multi media event in South Africa, it gives it a lot of exposure.”

According to Ms Carswell the Sports Illustrated swimwear shoot first came to Seychelles eight years ago, and has been lured back in part due to a long standing relationship with the Ste. Anne Resort owners, Beachcomber.