Frozen food retailers Iceland may well have hit the headlines with their latest search for the face of Iceland but many clothing retailers, brands and supermarkets have already used this style of customer-based branding to push their products.

Years ago, Pears soap used to run a competition, where by parents would send in pictures of their little girls with fresh faced complexions to a panel of judges and the best little Pears girl would be seen on their boxes throughout the year. For every little girl, the idea of being the little Pears girl was the equivalent of being Miss World.

The competition ran for a staggering 38 years and was a very clever way of getting parents to buy into the brand because it became every little girl's wish to win the Miss Pears accolade.

Across the channel, the French clothing brand Comptoir des Cotonniers choose real mother and daughter duos every season to represent them.  Not only does this type of advertising prove popular because the mother and daughter are non-models and supposedly real women, it allows Comptoir des Cotonniers to spread the message that their clothing is designed for any age and is a great place to take your mother shopping. 

From Nike to Ben Sherman, inviting customers to represent your brand has become a great way to get your target market involved. Global brand Benetton is currently running a competition to find the new faces to star in their a/w campaign and have launched an entire website entitled "It's my time," where prospectives can post photos of their style.

Iceland's X-Factor style competition is also hoping to find a customer who shops in their stores and will represent their brand because Coleen Nolan decided to step down last week. Nick Canning, Iceland's marketing director told Retail Week,“Coleen is undoubtedly a hard act to follow. So after long and hard consideration we’ve decided not to try and replace her and we’re turning the spotlight on our customers to give them a chance. At Iceland, our customers are very important to us, especially Mums and we know they have a great deal of affection for our brand."

“Just like Coleen, we’re looking for a new face who loves Iceland and is the perfect blend of personality and charm. Someone who is enthusiastic about Iceland and is literally bursting for the chance to tell everyone else about it. You never know the campaign, might even turn the winner into a celebrity themselves.”

“As well as becoming a brand ambassador for Iceland, the New Face will also win a regular supply of Iceland shopping for their family including a chance to test out new product ranges before they hit the shelves.”