And in this latest blog, we’ve got an announcement to make:

Families, we need you to sign up with our agency so that you can enjoy our family modelling services, as our lovely families have done too. You don’t need to be a traditional family to apply nor do you all have to be part of the package if anyone decides to opt out.

Our agency’s viewpoint is: whatever your formation is as a family if you’re happy, we’re happy. Nor do you need to have previous modelling experience. All you need is a passion to work together, be professional but enjoy yourselves and be ready to try something new every time your family is selected for a modelling assignment.

If this sounds like something your family would like to try, then you’re at the right place because Models Direct can help represent you and put you forward for work.

• Do I need professional photographs to be a model?
• From Blossoms to Big Smiles – Spring Photography Tips for Child Models
• How do I find modelling work?
• Our Guide to Modelling with Models Direct
• The Ultimate Models Direct Guide to Getting Your Child Into Modelling

Here are some of the reasons why we need you!

The demand for family models is high among our clients
Clients want families to make their marketing more relatable and impactful
Families are a great structure of society to tap into appealing to a target audience by building trust and enhancing an emotive narrative.

We’ve got a lot of models in our books but we believe that we can never have too many families who are willing to join us either. Every family is different – in looks, age, size, and ethnicity and we appreciate all the differences.

Here are some of our current superstars, alongside the three mentioned at the beginning, who’ve been part of successful campaigns:

The Friend family
The Burton Family
The Karlsen family
The Sanghera family
The Goulding family
The Simpson family
The Agyemang Family
The Bakshi family
The Moore family
The Grimsditch family
The House family
The Rizkalla Family
The Walton family
The Ezobi family
The Norwood family
The Coombs family
The Vadlir family
The Saddigh Family
The Yusuf family
The Tavares family
The Dawson family
The Harewood family
The Vyakaranam Family
The Hillier family
The Bond family
The Priestley family
The White family

There are certainly quite a few families, and they all deserve a shout-out for the brilliant work they’ve done with our UK-based modelling agency. We’ve collected feedback from so many of them and here’s a compilation of what they’ve had to say about working with our team.

The Bakshi left us with this review:
“Ace and I really enjoyed shooting for TFL. Molly’s communication was flawless prior to the shoot & all the team on the day were very lovely & accommodating – we had great fun wearing the outfits and they even gifted Ace with a cute pair of dinosaur wellies! Excited to see how the pictures turn out and really looking forward to our next job J”

Whilst the Rizkalla family shared this:
“We had a really lovely time at the booking. The videographer and photographer were really friendly and gave lots of constructive direction. The director kept time and made everything run smoothly and efficiently. They were all very kind and professional, very considerate and patient of our daughter on set. The venue for the shoot was beautiful, luck was with us and the weather was absolutely amazing. We were fed and watered throughout the day and my daughter was even given a little freebie at the end of the day. It was hard work but the whole family had a lot of fun.”

Our team loves connecting new and existing family modelling units with all sorts of campaigns. We’re very proud that we wake up doing a job that we love, and hopefully, you’ll share some of this positive energy with us by placing yourselves in front of the camera and readying your family for a new modelling adventure! Sign up or if you have any questions, contact our team.

What’s more, modelling is more realistic than you might expect. The days of models being portrayed as flaunting latest fashions on catwalks from chic labels disappeared decades ago. It’s true that the world of high-end fashion is still flourishing, but we’re an agency with more grounded roots. In fact, our extensive client list isn’t interested in seeing models that have had experience with global fashion houses. What they are keen to know is this: which everyday person or people can help them effectively market their products to the general public? The answer is: it could be you, or your family.

The first step in a simple process is to apply to register your family with us, complete with a couple of clear group photos.

The second step is to let us see what you can offer our clients. If a suitable family modelling job arises and we think you’d make a perfect fit, we’ll recommend your family to the client. It’s their choice whether your family gets chosen. It’s a process that has served us, our models and our clients well for nearly 35 years, propelling Models Direct to become Europe’s no.1 modelling agency.

Our brands know what they’re looking for. They make us their first choice when searching for the right models, so we act as the professional go-between model and client. And when a model gets selected, we make sure they’re comfortable with their booking, from telling them the good news to receiving the all-important evaluation of how it went.

It’s not hard to understand why family modelling keeps increasing in demand. A lot of brands we work with desperately need families to help them promote their business.

It doesn’t have to be a specific product either. The Rizkalla family were selected recently by Park Holidays at one of their locations, complete with videographer and photographer. The weather was stunning, they enjoyed complimentary food and drinks, and were rewarded for their group commitment with a generous paycheque within 5 working days. Not too bad, if we say so ourselves.

There’s no reason why your family couldn’t be the next one chosen by our famous brands. It could be for huge retailers, travel operators, government agencies or notable charities. There’s no limit to family modelling. As long as the demand is there, we need more close-knit enthusiastic families. Read more detailed reviews from families here.

Before families register, the following points will be useful:

• Travel expenses are paid
• As a general rule of thumb families often demand a larger fee than single models, due to the amount of individuals employed for the assignment
• As with any model (including pets), we strongly recommended families to regularly keep us informed of current or new looks by updating their Models Direct portfolios
• No modelling experience by any family member is necessary
• We welcome legal guardians as well as birth parents, as well as same sex couples with children

Modelling is a realistically viable opportunity for many people. We know this because we’ve placed thousands of models with our clients. Families are no different, and they continue to be highly prized by brands all across the UK and beyond.

Will you be the next family to work with professionals in the modelling industry? There’s only one way to find out.

There’s been enough coverage recently regarding restrictions, furloughs and lockdowns, with some companies being put “on hold”. However, the general consensus is that the world will be in a much better place come early 2021 – great news for everybody! Though it’s not expected that everything will return to normality anytime soon, “social bubbles” are still likely to be utilised – and this is where families can really stand out as models.

We’ll use one example where a company (client) regards families as gold dust for modelling assignments, and where a family is far more effective than an individual for advertising purposes. The sector we’ll choose is travel / holiday operators – i.e. tourism.

When tour operators wish to market their holidays, they’ll often choose a family. The location could be a sun-kissed beach or an alpine escape surrounded by lakes and mountains. Whatever the scenic background, families convey the perfect image for holidaymakers: a fun, happy, well-deserved break that will be remembered for years to come. In fact, we’ve supplied models for Heathrow Airport and Oliver’s Travels – one of the UK’s top travel companies specialising in villas, cottages, beach huts and chateaus in several of the most desirable countries in Europe and beyond.

But don’t just take our word for it – this is the feedback from Coral, mother of the lovely Golding family, who had the opportunity of filming with James Clancy and his crew at The Gate Films last year for an Oliver’s Travels brand campaign:

“We have just got back from the South of France where we filmed a commercial as a family for Oliver’s Travels. It was a truly amazing experience! We stayed in an unbelievable villa and saw some beautiful sights! Thank you so much Models Direct for getting us this job!! We absolutely loved it!”

And even better news – in 2021 the tourism industry might boom because more people will want to make up for 2020 – a lousy year by anyone’s standards! This means more advertising, and more opportunities for family models. This could be the case for some time to come!

Of course, there are other modelling examples where families excel – Christmas being an obvious one. Families portray a sincere, warm image, sothey rarely need to practice prior to modelling shoots (although choice of clothes is open to argument!). A family’s chemistry is never underrated by our clients, and this is one of the reasons why we have many happy families on our books.

Clients also regularly want to hear from diverse families. Whilst the “average” family with “2.4 children” is highly valued, the modelling world casts its net much wider, so many clients no longer simply want Mum, Dad and the children. Unique families have a story to tell, and the demand for remarkable families from all backgrounds is increasing week-by-week. Don’t be shy – if you’re a same-sex family or have exceptional children with unique qualities, we’d love to hear from you!

Our client list is diverse and customer-driven. We’ve supplied family models to the NSPCC, G Tech, Santander UK, Newbury Racecourse and Microsoft – to name but a few.

So there are plenty of reasons to “keep it in the family” for modelling assignments. To be considered as our next “model family”, please click on the link below. You’ll also find oodles of reviews from other families who have tasted success with us. We look forward to hearing from you – and your family.

We’ll leave you with a thorough review from Rebecca Friend, just to get your modelling juices flowing:

“Working as a modelling family is a mixture of excitement and apprehension. As any mum knows, if you’re going anywhere with your children you want them to be on their best behaviour.

This is no different on a photo shoot, so when three of your children are asked to stand up straight, smile, look continuously happy while taking direction from the photographer, it can be challenging!

Luckily, we work with Models Direct and have always been so well looked after, from lunches for the children, to overnight accommodation, to letting the children have fifteen minute’s timeout so they can chill, go on their iPad etc.

We have now had seven assignments, over £6,000 in modelling fees and I can’t believe how lucky we are – my son says it’s all down to his fantastic good looks!

When I first signed up to Models Direct I was a little sceptical, after hearing stories of people paying thousands of pounds for pictures to be done because the agency they had chosen had asked them to do so… then signing a three-year deal and not getting a single job. When I spoke to Molly for the first time from Models Direct she immediately put my mind at ease. She said she only needed photos that we had taken ourselves (nice, natural photos work the best), so the client could get a real feel for who we were and how we looked in front of a camera.

I told my children we’d be extremely lucky if we got just one job. Here we are several years later and now on our 8th job! We have managed to do so much with extra money that has come in from our job, just little things like being able to spoil the kids a little, to a weekend away for the family to now having our garden landscaped and having a hot tub fitted. My husband and I are so proud of our children. It’s hard work, but we haven’t looked back and look forward to the next seven assignments.”

To help you out the Models Direct team, of which a large percentage are parents, have compiled their top tips to make travelling with kids that little bit easier!

Our junior models also often have to travel for assignments , generally within in the UK, but sometimes it means going on a plane and travelling further afield, so what ever your reason for travel it helps to be a little bit organised and take the stress away.

If your travels this season are taking you over seas here are Models Direct’s  helpful tips to flying with children:

1 –  Comfort:   It’s a good idea to  dress your children in comfortable clothing when travelling, make sure they wont be too hot or too cold and are not restricted by what they are wearing. There’s no need to look super stylish when travelling, it’s much more important that your children have comfortable clothing on so they can relax and  can sleep if tired and   can sit in it for long periods of time.

2 –  Food & Snacks: Food can  be expensive and sometimes difficult to find when travelling, so have a bag of tasty snacks with you . It’s a good idea to have a variety of different things, some healthy snacks, some treats and also some thing the children haven’t tried before  to keep it interesting. As we all know children get super grumpy when hungry, so a little pick me up during a long flight or car journey can make all the difference. Also carry plenty of water with you, it’s very important to stay hydrated, particularly if it’s warm or you are flying, dehydration can make you feel very tired, so often regular sips of water can keep moral up!

3 –  Activities:  With tablets available to many of us it’s very easy to sit a child down with a tablet and headphones, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing,  parents are now able to download educational and fun games for children of all ages , so make sure you have updated your /their tablet with some new apps and games that will keep them interested.  If you are on a long journey then it’s useful to pack a variety of activities and space them out over the travelling time, so they are new to the child, could be a new coloring book, spelling game, maps and maze puzzles, reading book,  etc – there are lots to choose from on the market. Trick is to not give  them all to your child at the same time, keep their curiosity!

4 –  Stay Calm:  As a parent it’s really important to try and stay calm with your children while travelling, try and avoid arguments and upset as this will make the journey and travelling experience much more stressful than it needs  to be.  Aswell as looking after the needs of your children make sure your own needs are met also so you feel the best you can.

5 – Sleep:   If you are travelling for a long time make sure your children have a chance to rest and ideally sleep! Try and stick to their routines as much as you can, feeds and naps are essential especially with babies and toddlers. So if you are flying make sure your baby is fed when they usually are and  made comfortable so can drift off to sleep rather than getting over tired and grumpy. It can be useful to have a small blanket and pillow with you if in the car or a plane so that your child is comfortable and  warm.

6 – Other Passengers:  Whatever mode of transport we may be on we are often in close proximity to other passengers, so try and be cheerful and polite to the people near you, especially if you have a baby or young child with you who may be noisy or cry, it’s useful to have the people around you on your side  and possibly may help you out if you need it!

7 – Organisation:  There is so much for parents to think about before going away, it can often seem overwhelming, but organisation is key and will make your travelling experience much calmer and enjoyable. Plan ahead with your packing, don’t leave it until the last minute! Make sure your hand luggage is organised and prepared in a suitable bag and has everything you need for the plane or is within easy reach in a car or train, you will be calmer if you know you have everything you may need for your baby or child.

Whatever the distance you are travelling, the most important thing is to stay calm and try and make each part as fun as possible, it’s all part of the holiday experience and  can be a great time for your children to learn and see new things!