Urmi Sahni, Mumbai: There are all kinds of billboards in Mumbai - bright colors, slogans, different shapes, big ones, the small ones and now there are the live ones too.

Advertising companies have a new gimmick to grab eyeballs.

They are replacing lifeless models with real ones and thereby adding life to their campaigns, which according to most seems to be working.

"People stop their vehicles and click photographs," says one of the college girls who works as a live ad model.

But why would an advertiser do that? GM, Sony Erricson, Sudhin Mathur says the reason is a simple one. "I think the experience becomes much more alive when you have a live model instead of a cut out," says he.

And it is needless to say, the college students come in handy for such tasks who work as part time and get paid for it. "Money is never enough, but yes, it is worth," a model who works for Sony’s live ad says.

Their campaign requires a live model to walk on a treadmill for long hours, even though the girls work in shifts, there are some unavoidable problems that come with the job.

"In the morning the problem is the sun, as you can see I am tanned, but in the evening the problem is the comments," the model says. She adds that there are also people who stare and some even pass flying kisses.

The job can be tiring and annoying at the same time, but the few extra bucks that they earn, makes the pain worth it.