Last year, a 30-something boss in Qingdao gifted an employee a Porsche Cayenne worth over one million yuan as a reward, sparking widespread discussion. This boss—Ma Yingyao, chairman of Shangkeyou Group—has recently pulled off another surprise move: turning Shangkeyou female employees into supermodels！
“Giving ordinary employees a chance to realize their dreams.”
It is understood that a few days ago, many female employees at the budget hotel chain Shangkeyou found an email in the company inbox: by simply taking and sending in a portrait photo of themselves, they could be selected to star in a supermodel photoshoot and become the brand’s spokesperson.
On this, Ma Yingyao said: “Giving away the Porsche Cayenne last year was absolutely not just a publicity stunt. Shangkeyou has grown rapidly in recent years, and its employees have been the driving force behind it. We want every employee to be able to realize their dreams at Shangkeyou. So last time we gave out a Cayenne as a year-end bonus, this time we’re giving our employees dreams!”
So how do Shangkeyou employees feel about this? A reporter randomly interviewed one applicant—Xiao Ke (pseudonym)—who told the reporter she is just a hotel service staff member at Shangkeyou, having worked there for two years. She has always loved beauty, but her job made life feel rather plain, and the dream of becoming a supermodel felt even more out of reach. But it seemed Shangkeyou understood her inner thoughts and offered her the opportunity to become a model as a benefit, which came as a great surprise to her.
According to her, many female employees who received the email were very excited, with the office buzzing with joyful chatter as word spread among colleagues. Xiao Ke was the first to sign up.
When asked by the reporter if she had confidence in posing for supermodel photos, she didn’t hide her feelings: “What’s so hard about pursing your lips and not smiling, giving a piercing gaze, pretending you have stomach pain, a headache, or sore feet? How tough can that be?” Her words revealed full confidence. She added that she had recently seen an online standard for evaluating whether a woman has a good figure: being able to touch your belly button with your hand behind your back—and she could do that too. “If I’m definitely beautiful, how far can being a supermodel be?”
Xiao Ke also told the reporter that she had already put on a “floral cotton-padded jacket” dress, picked up her OPPO phone, snapped ten photos in a row, carefully selected one, and submitted it. She is now waiting to hear if she’s been selected.
“Taking supermodel photos isn’t that simple either.”
Follow-up interviews by the reporter revealed that Xiao Ke did indeed get selected, but the process of taking the photos turned out to be quite a challenge.
It turns out taking supermodel photos is not as easy as it sounds. Upon entering the photography studio and seeing the camera, Xiao Ke immediately became nervous. Her expressions during the shoot were very unnatural, and within the first hour of shooting, the photographer kept scratching his head and even said it might be better to find someone else.
At that moment, the excitement cooled down, and Xiao Ke calmed down considerably. She said the photographer told her: “To represent Shangkeyou, you must have the Shangkeyou vibe—someone who deeply understands the company culture and can showcase Shangkeyou’s spirit.” But what exactly is the Shangkeyou spirit?
But after thinking it over carefully, she realized that the Shangkeyou vibe has actually always been a part of her. For the past five years, she has worked diligently, witnessed her colleagues’ hard work and struggles, and seen Shangkeyou chasing its own dreams too. She and Shangkeyou are both dream chasers—and she realized the Shangkeyou vibe is the vibe of someone pursuing their dreams.
Once she figured this out, Xiao Ke instantly got into the groove. During the shoot, she displayed both gentleness and the resilience of a strong woman. After an hour, the photographer kept exclaiming: Turns out female employees really can become supermodels.
