U by Uniworld is forgoing the tradition of choosing a
godmother to christen its river ships, and instead has selected supermodel Petra
Nemcova to serve as the brand's representative.
Nemcova will join an invitation-only sneak-peek roundtrip cruise
from Paris on Oct. 7-11. U by Uniworld is a brand that caters to millennial
river cruisers.
Petra Nemcova
Nemcova, 38, has been featured in campaigns for several
products, including Benetton, Cartier, Maidenform, Max Factor, Pantene
Pro-V and Victoria's Secret. She has appeared on the cover of Harper's
Bazaar, Madame Figaro, Elle, Shape, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Flare, Vegas,
Glamour, FHM and Sports Illustrated.
As part of its partnership with Nemcova, U by Uniworld is
supporting the Happy Hearts Fund, an organization Nemcova founded to rebuild schools
in areas impacted by natural disasters, following her own experience during the
2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
She and her photographer boyfriend Simon Atlee were in Khao
Lak, Thailand, when the tsunami hit. Atlee was swept away and died. Nemcova
suffered a broken pelvis and serious internal injuries, but she managed to hold
on to a palm tree for eight hours until she was rescued.
The nonprofit is active in 10 countries, has helped rebuild
more than 160 schools, and has assisted nearly 100,000 students in getting back
to school following natural disasters.
To win a spot on the sneak-peek cruise, travel agents ages
21 to 45 must create and post a 30-second video to the U by Uniworld Facebook
page, sharing how they are going to sell the product, and tag it with #I'mGonnaSellU.