Exclusivity Clause
A contract term restricting a model from working with competing brands, products or agencies for a defined period. Exclusivity should be paid extra above the base day rate.
What it means in practice
Exclusivity comes in two flavors. Job-level exclusivity prevents you from doing a competing brand for a defined period — say, no other coffee brand for 12 months after a Starbucks campaign. Agency-level exclusivity binds you to one agency in a market or worldwide for 1–3 years. Job-level exclusivity should always be paid as a multiplier on the day rate. Agency-level exclusivity is more complex: it can be great or terrible depending on the agency and the model's career stage.
How it affects what you get paid
Exclusivity is one of the most expensive things you can give away for free. A campaign with 12-month US exclusivity has a market value 50–200% above the base day rate. If the contract doesn't price exclusivity separately, you are giving away the larger half of the job's value. Always ask: what exclusivity am I agreeing to, and what does it cost me?
See also
Researched by Bec. Last updated 2026-05-02.
