EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SHELLY INNOCENCE

Compiled by Tim Parish for Undergrowth Magazine 3
Tales of the Simulacrum, 2004

Undergrowth Magazine is delighted to scoop an exclusive interview
with Australia’s own digital diva, the queen of the branded catwalks, supermodel and marketing genius – Shelly Innocence. She is, of course, the name on every glamour tongue from Melbourne to New York. It has been said that 'If consumerism is the religion of our culture then Shelly Innocence™ is the embodiment of Faith™. Shelly probably wrote that herself – does her talent know no bounds? Let’s probe the mind of one
of the rising stars of global transmedia as we follow her on a typical
day in the life of someone special.

Q> Shelly, with your jet setting lifestyle, is there much room for the ordinary?
Or is your life one champagne supernova of photo shoots, glamour and illusion?

Tim, do all your questions contain answers? I guess you know what the
public wants. Speaking from my heart I feel there is a target audience for
every moment. The mundane can be Effervescent™ just as the supernova
can sometimes leave you with the taste of Disappointment™. That’s why I recommend Duplicity™ – double your chances. Have you tried it?

Q> Many cause celebs are pointedly neutral when commenting on the media itself. Have your experiences in front of the camera changed the way you see
the world? What do you think about media in the 21st C?

I love media in all its forms. I have met a lot of wonderful people. Being in
the public eye has certainly changed the way I see the world. My life before Innocence™ seems hazy now, almost a dream. It was as if I was rehearsing
for my real life. When I discovered myself in front of a camera I knew I had
come into my own. In that sense I am grateful to the media but not as grateful
as they are to me.

Q> Would you do a reality TV show and if so, what would be the twist? Do
you think reality TV is cheapening the nature of fame itself as a commodity?
If ordinary people can become even semi-famous, where does that leave A
grade fame?

Funny you should mention reality TV. I suspect someone has had a word in
your ear. Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret – the negotiations are underway. But I am cautious for the very reasons you’ve listed. There is a saying in the industry that a closed box holds so much more than an open one. Inside
Shelly Innocence won’t be like any reality TV you have seen before. As a businesswoman I know the value of not giving too much away.

Q> Where were you when you first realised that Happiness™ was a little bit
like a product and could be marketed so successfully? Was it something just crying out for a brand label and the right PR? Have you really got a trademark
on the name Happiness™?

One morning I woke up in bed after a tumultuous night’s sleep and it hit me in big, bold letters. HAPPINESS™. (Arial Bold, uppercase, orange on white with
a twinkling ™ symbol). At first I thought ‘No, it can’t possibly sell – happiness
is so light and fluffy, so everyday’, but my extensive market research confirmed that it™ was in demand. Now Happiness™ sales have gone through the roof. Innocence™’s patent on Happiness™ is pending.

Q> What makes YOU happy, Shelly?

That’s a personal one, Tim. What makes YOU happy? I must say that my happiest moment was seeing the little ™ symbol twinkling above Happiness.
It was then that I realised that Happiness belongs to everyone.

Q> What makes you angry about the world these days?

Knowing that there is a target audience that has not been reached or has
not experienced the privilege of being nurtured on brand names. With great
products like Risk™, Amplitude™ and Abundance™ there is so much Opportunity™ for Human Potential™ it almost makes me cry.

Q> Could you tell us about the Happiness™ campaign and the outreach
you’ve been doing on the streets, the billboards you’ve been starring on, and
the public’s reaction to your sales technique?

Innocence™’s campaign was launched at Federation Square in June and stretches across billboards around Melbourne. My website has had over
300,000 hits. It seems Innocence™ is on everyone’s lips and even graffiti
artists have made running commentaries. At the Happiness Booth at Flinders Street Station in Melbourne, the Innocence™ team has found the public who believe the levels on our Happiness Meter are far too low. It seems that many people feel happier when the levels are artificially raised. A domino effect is
an essential part of any strategic advertising campaign.

Q> As we all know, the paparazzi follow your every move – from broken
heel to anorexia diet fads. Sex scandals to plastic surgery mishap – yet
you still manage to represent the image of Innocence™ to the public. Does
so much attention to your private life effect your ability to properly promote the consumption of Happiness™ – or is it, as some have suggested just all a part
of the ingenious marketing of the Shelly Innocence brand?

In my career as an athlete and retail-in-store demonstrator I have learned
to integrate the inner and outer parts of my being. My public life is my private
life and vice versa. There is no conflict between the two and there are no areas
that are off limits. I love the media and I don’t resent the public’s interest in
any area of my life because I have nothing to hide.

Q> What do you have to say to the tabloid journalists who have made the
allegations that your products Happiness™ and Innocence™ are really
just last seasons Ignorance® with sexier packaging?

Who said that? I would like their names so I can follow it up. Those people
have a problem and it’s one that I can help with. At Innocence™ we have
products that counter the damaging effects of cynicism. I’d like to give those
journalists a little sample pack of Idealism™ and Belief™ and then ask them
how they feel.

Q> William Gibson, the author who coined the term cyberspace has written a
book called ‘Idoru’ about an artificial media spokeswoman. ‘Synthespians’ or ‘digital actors’ are on the rise and – heavens forbid – even on the modelling
books with some agencies. Do you feel threatened by the rise of artificial intelligences as models and actors?

Not at all. I have had offers to sell the CGI rights to Shelly but I refused.
I know some studios prefer simulated models because they are easier to
work with and can be turned off at the end of the shoot but I think the public
will always crave authenticity. My own team once created a simulated Shelly
when I was unable to go on location due to a minor health problem. Shelly 2
performed credibly but my fans tell me she ultimately lacked substance and
was nothing compared to the real thing.

Q> Finally, Shelly, do you have any tips for up and coming media superstars?
What is the secret of your brand success?

As the brand ambassador for Innocence™ I am constantly reinventing myself. With a team of creatives at my disposal – designers, stylists, concept creators etc – I can check my personal branding and rebrand daily to adjust to market requirements. I am in a constant state of response. I am what the public wants and, I hope, what it deserves.

Thank you for your YOU, Shelly.

Oh no, thank YOU™.