HTC Corp (宏達電) has hired Kelly Brook, a top British model to promote its flagship HTC One M9 in the UK.
In a series of videos and photographs, Brook models a gown made out of liquid gold to celebrate the launch of the gold edition of the smartphone.
These images have been shown on HTC’s YouTube account, titled “Kelly Brook & HTC M9 Gold: Going for Gold” as the Taiwanese firm works to boost its visibility in the UK.
The images were created by using more than 440 liters of gold-colored liquid during a four-hour shoot. The images were inspired by the iconic Marilyn Monroe lifted-skirt look from The Seven Year Itch.
“It’s exciting to be one of the first human canvases for this unique art form. They say you have to suffer for your art and being covered in freezing cold gold paint really pushed me out of my comfort zone, but I have to say it was worth it,” Brook said on Twitter.
In a report that appeared in the Daily Mail’s Web site, HTC UK and Ireland general manager Peter Frolund said the HTC One M9 Gold on Gold is one of the most surprising smartphones in the market, “so who better to showcase its glamor and beautiful design than Kelly Brook?”
HTC, which has come under pressure from escalating competition in the global market, has said that it could incur massive losses in the second quarter due to slower than expected demand in China and a one-time loss resulting from asset impairment.
The New Taipei City-based firm on June 5 said that it could report a loss of NT$9.70 to NT$9.94 in earnings per share for the April-to-June quarter, a downward revision from an earlier estimate of NT$0.06 to NT$0.34.
Since that profit warning, shares in HTC have fallen about 20 percent on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. The company is looking for alternative ways to boost shipments, reverse its financial difficulties and regain investors’ confidence.
Earlier this month, India’s ETTelecom.com said HTC has signed an agreement with Global Device Network, an Indian contract manufacturer, to introduce entry-level and mid-range smartphones in India, but the company has yet to confirm the report.
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