As a youngster I done some modelling for different brands like Heineken, SF, Telia and so on. I remember the up- and downside of the pay check from the different gigs. When you were the center of attention the check was high and on one or two gigs that I did as an extra (in Swedish; statist) the pay check was naturally low.
Just weeks after that I got diagnosed with cancer I got put together with the photographer Juliana Fälldin that works among others with the pharmaceutical company Fresenius Kabi. They are releasing a new and important type of cancer product/medicine, to use Julianas own words, and were in need of cancer sick people without hair for a photo shot. I told her I was interested and put her in touch with two more since she needed three people and then the weeks went by.
Finally Juliana got in touch with me again, they finally decided on a plan for the gig and now were on the go to take pictures for the leaflet attending to sell the product. For the shot I was offered 1000 SEK and a goodie bag. Thanks Fresenius Kabi. This is a very normal fee for an extra (statist) but for sure not for a model, and in this case not even close ethically nor morally.
Now I don´t grace the view of myself as a model and I’m not greedy person. But the pay check of 1000 SEK coming from the pharmaceutical company Fresenius Kabi that the last 6 years had a turn around of more than 3 billion SEK and last year more than 3.5 billion with a profit with over 805 million SEK after wages and bonuses when selling cancer medicine, using cancer sick people in their advertising to sell more to hospital and cancer sick people while hardly paying for it is just disgustful and plain offensive!
I got really mad and several days ago I emailed the vice president Kirsten Nyland, Rebecca Rikner marketing coordinator and Tord Karlsson who is director of sales and marketing but neither have replied.
I’d be happy with 1000 SEK if the Fresenius Kabi put additional 25 000 to Ung cancer or Cancerfonden, just give all of it it to them instead. And don’t forget; the same amount for every person the played like they were going to play me for the last years. I can only imagine how many cancer sick people the took pictures of, using as advertisement for their products ,making huge profits and not even paying for the cancer sick faces of their products, just like how they wanted me to bend over, shut up and take it.
I know, since I both touched base with advertising being in the business and modelling years ago that the pay is not always a wet dream. But this is in my world just ridiculous. Like everything in life we all make decisions and Fresenius Kabi have a choice to right for themselves or not. Even if they would give away 25 000 SEK for each model to foundation either researching about cancer or a organisation that helps cancer victims, it would hardly affect the numbers, their profits nor their stocks.
I have no idea if this post will ever affect anything, make any sort of change or even make Fresenius Kabi take more morally ok decisions regarding the ad models they use or if my reaction will just fade away like they’re maybe hoping for. I still think it all really sucks and I’m disappointed with Fresenius Kabi and how they handle it all and that neither of the three persons that I emailed concerning this even replied. Maybe it’s me, being in the situation I’m in, over reacting to it all. But deep down in me it really doesn’t feel like I’m over reacting, you that reads this; you tell me! I write this hoping it will change things. Thats all I can do! <3
