Gorgeous two-year-old Mercy Townsend stood out among all other entrants in the Gerber Generation Photo Search this year; going on to win the competition hands down. Parents were able to enter their children into the contest by uploading pictures onto the Gerber website, and cute toddler Mercy’s adorable smile impressed judges so much that she easily scooped their generous ‘first prize’ scholarship. She also went on to become a model for the brand; starring in a major print advertisement campaign earlier in the year.

The six month online contest was run in order to find birth to preschool children who demonstrated “visual appeal, expressiveness and consistency with Gerber’s heritage and its Start Healthy, Stay Healthy™ mission; to nourish a healthier generation one baby at a time”. Mercy’s mother, Tahisha Williams-Townsend, was delighted that Mercy was chosen to become a baby model in the Gerber Generation advertisement, which was designed to advocate “a healthier future for children through good nutrition”.

She said of her daughter’s win: “I didn’t believe it at first, our family is ecstatic to see Mercy in a magazine ad and then to receive such a generous scholarship is really awesome. Mercy doesn’t understand the extent of what she’s just won, but she’s excited and goes around saying, thank you, thank you.”

Gerber were equally delighted at the reaction to their competition. “We are thrilled to have seen such an overwhelming response to the Gerber Generation photo contest,” said Christina Lawrence, Vice President of Integrated Marketing and Communications at Nestlé Infant Nutrition.

But how difficult was it for judges to pick a winner from so many potential child models?

“With so many adorable ‘Gerber babies’ to choose from, it was hard for the judges to pick just one,” shared Lawrence.

If you think your child or baby has what it takes to appear in an advertising campaign or gain representation from a modelling agency it may be worth sending in some favourite pictures to Models Direct to be judged by the panel. We consider every applicant and promise to respond within 5-7 days.

Modelling can be a fantastic way to build confidence in your child and you may also find it an enjoyable way to start building on a nest egg just like Mercy’s.