PHOTOS: Remember When an Augusta, Maine, Storefront Had Live Models and Became National News?

It’s been almost 20 years since Augusta’s downtown gained some very unexpected attention.

Picture it: Live undergarment models took center stage in the storefront window of the now-closed Spellbound, which was then a newly opened store on Water Street, according to NBC News. 

A Risque Idea With Bigger Pay-Off Than Expected

This was a very risque marketing campaign created by former Cony High School teacher Felicia Stockford.

The spicy tactic caught the eye of Augusta locals in a way no one could have predicted. So, you could say it most definitely worked.  

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Three women wore the heck out of the store's lingerie and posed while waving at unsuspecting passersby from the window. This took place for several months, which created a pretty shocking spectacle for the time — and some very divided opinions with some passionate side-eye.

Then Came the Negative Backlash

A fair amount of businesses thought this was interrupting the wholesome nature of downtown Augusta.  

According to NBC, Carrie Rossignol the co-owner of Video Game Exchange, called the display "...morally reprehensible."  

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Others like Stacy Gervais of Stacy's Hallmark, which is also now closed, appreciated the edgy flair saying the models brought much-needed life to a sometimes colorless street. 

Felicia thought the idea was an affordable way to market her new store. She defended the display and stressed that the models never engaged in behavior that broke the law.

It did get so bad that after getting some harassing phone calls, Spellbound had to stop using live models to attract attention, according to the Lewiston Sun Journal.

Would (and Should) Something Like This Happen Today?

In my opinion, this should absolutely happen again. If this street had a lingerie store (which, unfortunately, it doesn’t), I’d love to see that kind of boldness make a stylish comeback.

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I think this bold marketing move was ahead of its time 20 years ago. Today, I doubt anyone would even blink if it happened again.

You might even say that the world’s become desensitized to this variety of cheeky (pun intended) marketing that once made heads turn.

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If this happened now, it’d probably just be a cute post on Instagram or a viral TikTok challenge. So why not?  

Let’s get back to the days of daring window displays, when you could walk down the street and think, "Well, this is not your typical Tuesday."

Everybody would be taking photos, the gossip would be on fire, and all of a sudden, Water Street would have some added appeal.

The only thing missing would be a Housewives-style tagline like: “Come for the lingerie, stay for the conversation.” 

Keep scrolling for a peek at more photos of live models that made national headlines almost 20 years ago.