Naked Pitch
OutFront
Naked Pitch
Suzanne Hoppough, 12.25.06
Steven Vickers grew up in a nudist colony in Kissimmee, Fla., an experience he claims was very positive. "It was like one big family, just an extended one," he says. Now he's taking up the cause on college campuses in Florida. A 25-year-old pitchman for the American Association for Nude Recreation, Vickers is part of an image-buffing campaign (or should we say buff-imaging campaign) that the 50,000-member group is backing to attract young adults.
The $53,000 effort includes ads, a blog, a MySpace page and, soon, podcasts. Some of the 270 AANR-affiliated hotels and campgrounds that cater to nudists in the U.S., Canada and Mexico are doing their part, too, offering Wi-Fi access, laser hair removal and events such as Nudies at the Movies Night, held at Caliente Resort in Land O' Lakes, Fla.
The bare facts are a hard sell. Mostly because a significant fraction of nudists are aging bohemians with thinning hair and a lot of cellulite. Vickers protests that the average AANR member is "only" 50 and in good physical shape. "These aren't hippies wearing sandals," he says.
It is too soon to say if the campaign is convincing twentysomethings to show more flesh. But hoping that young nudie prospects will cough up the AANR's $52 annual membership fee--benefits include car rental discounts and 20% off resort visitor fees--Vickers takes coeds on tours of resorts where he pitches the naked lifestyle as one that's natural for thrill-seekers. Besides, he tells students, "We did a study, and half our membership is Republican."
Re-Posted Sunsport Gardens Family Naturist Resort
