Street model: Benetton launches search for new faces

Once again, Benetton is blazing the trail; the Italian retailer announced the world's first real-time "street-casting" last week, inviting people on the street to enter a gobal modelling competition to become one of the faces of the retailer for next year.

The contest, which starts next week, will be run through social and online media and potential models are invited to send photos or videos which will then be placed on Benetton's site to be voted on. Benetton is also experimenting with the latest in "augmented reality" technology – the adverts carry an icon that allows viewers to watch videos.