Lush Employees Go Naked

 "Yeah just go ahead and take pictures. Mom and
dad already know I did ." Photo: Erin Barnes

Today at noon, employees at Lush Cosmetics citywide dropped trou and strutted, naked but for aprons, outside their places of employment. The stunt was cooked up by the British Columbia–based company in order to promote their "naked" bath products — they are made from organic fruit and vegetables and sold sans plastic bottles — and it certainly got them attention. Over by the Lush store in Herald Square, tourists and salarymen went wild at the unexpected midday display of flesh. "Take them off! Take them off!" the crowd shouted at two twentysomething guys in boxers, one of whom eventually complied. The publicity stunt, a spokesperson explained, was the company's idea, but employees chose whether to comply. While some clearly reveled in the attention (see above), as the crowd grew larger, others seemed to be feeling regretful about their choice. We asked store manager Jennifer Paulson, who kept herself firmly pressed against the store wall, why she had chosen to go naked. "Because we keep our products unpackaged so nothing goes to the landfill," she said like a good employee, then worried aloud: "Someone was videotaping so now I'm worried I'm going to be on YouTube!"  FROM THE SITE