LAS VEGAS -- Instead of having young models in revealing clothes smile and point at products as other companies do at CES, Panasonic had the local talent pose in bathing suits on a mock beach in its huge booth.

The setup was like an exhibit at the zoo, with a slightly raised platform where people could stand and look down at two curvy women and a hunky guy on the other side of the railing. There was real sand, on the floor in front of a wall-sized mural of a sea.

Why? So people would try out the new camcorders lined up on the railing --especially the zoom features, apparently.

BRIER DUDLEY

Panasonic's variation on using models at a CES booth.