I hope this does come to the UK because there is so much false advertising from influencers recently! Can't stand influencers as it is. They are spam to me
I think it's definitely reaching it's peak now. It's got to the point with some it's just cheapening brands now because their stuff is just lost in an endless show of gifts. But until the followers stop giving the brands the attention they want then the brands will just keep on sending stuff out. What gets me though is just how lazy some of the ads are getting, influencers aren't even trying anymore.
The whole Lauren Goodger situation has helped, I think it's made some people realise what really goes on but it's the tip of the iceberg, I don't think it's even occured to people it's not just reality stars doing it.
Funnily enough we were talking about the demise of influencers on another thread (Sali Hughes). The something for nothing culture #gifted #press samples etc just look a bit grotesque now. As is flogging a load of expensive stuff and services they haven't bought themselves to people who now are worried where to find basic food and toiletries . And they can't keep taking freebies from companies who are struggling to pay their staff can they?
Also it looks just hypocritical for them to mourn the demise of businesses when they rarely put their hands in their pockets for anything anyway.
It has really exploded in the last 2 years, as only 3 or so years ago instagram was more about make up and hair inspiration, arty photography and journaling. I know bloggers were using it long before youtubers spilled into it but I think it really became saturated when youtubers expanded their reach into insta as a side hustle.
Now I'm nearing 30 I am starting to feel like I'm wiser to the ads and am far less impressionable. When I think of the money I have wasted over my 20s on tat that I fell for buying.... Wish I had that money back! Going forward I'm much more inclined to invest, reuse etc, just like we all did 50, 60 years ago. From 70s onwards consumerism has exploded. We need a bit more of 'make do an mend', 'reduce, reuse, recycle' mentality. I do wonder though at this point as a society are we trapped into consumerism forever because the economy and jobs depend on the scale of production and exchanges we are used to? So many livelihoods depend on retail and consumption It will be interesting how it all goes in the next decade...
Do you think advertisers will migrate to platforms like Tic Tok? I was shocked at how much some ‘Tic Tokkers’ earn.
Looking at some of the mummyfloggers comments you just notice how many lower tier/wannabe influencers are commenting...how saturated is that market!
I really dislike this promotion of throwaway stuff, stuff followers are buying to keep up with influencers.
I think I would prefer to watch/follow someone with an actual talent, say photography, then that person doing an advert for a camera.
Are there any brands that you are particularly sick of seeing being constantly gifted or promoted?
I’m Fed up with seeing those expensive Balsamhill Christmas trees being gifted to wealthy individuals. They gifted a lady who already owns at least 7 Xmas trees Oh and The White Company keep on advertising their products too by gifting or paying fees. The worst was a £1k outdoor fire pit gifted to a very wealthy family. The greed of these people who take take take and advertise to make money, but insist they are only doing it to share with their loyal followers. Yeah right!
I loved joules!! It was literally all I wore, then they gifted some to influencers and I’ve literally sold all my clothes. They cost a fortune and to just give them away annoyed me a lot when as a loyal customer it’s rare they offer any real discounts. We was looking into buying an Audi next year as we have dogs and kids and the boot size on some of their cars is lovely but since they’ve given them away I’ve said no to it, again just because it’s such an expensive car and they’re just handing them out.
M&S literally peed me of when they went through a faze of having insta kids as their models. it just really bugged me.
I’m not a petty person I don’t think but these shops are all quite expensive and to be giving away as much as they do just pees me off. They could just lower their prices across the board instead of selling out to influencers and they would probably do better for it.
“Disgusting human being” is a bit strong...
As for “us youtubers” providing such a noble public service at this time ... I’m sure she had no ulterior interests in posting...what was the video about incidentally?
Sunbeamsjess has been one of the worst that I follow. Anyone who doesn’t know her she projects a pretty ‘woke’ liberal image, and comes from a very privileged upper middle class background. Anyway she had literally just got back from a very luxurious holiday in St Lucia, of the sort that are very standard for her. People were already feeling she was coming across a bit annoyingly out of touch.
Then she’s suddenly in the states for a press trip. Posting all these amazing pictures in the Nevada desert or somewhere. Looking at her Instagram now the first one was only 6 days ago. So weelll into the state of crisis. Along with loads of stories, the account shes tagging is honestly called @visitusa. The whole point of the trip is to encourage travel! As if she couldn’t get anymore tone deaf she uploaded a video about “what’s in my carry on” she’d pre filmed without even an acknowledgement of what was going on. This was the 13th ()
Eventually it got to a point she couldn’t ignore the criticism so she posited a bunch of really defensive, typically YouTube stories. Basically saying things weren’t that bad when she left - bullshit ,they were. This is someone who pretends to be well informed. Either she isn’t or she’s lieing about how bad things were - she basically implied it was only a crisis after she landed in the US She then said everyone on the trip was healthy (ffs) and worst of all that people needed to not get too worked up by fear and continue living life...
Her account has been completely silent since then so you can see how well that went down/ how she knows she fucked up and can’t say sorry.
I had a severe allergic reaction to a well known, very heavily pushed by influencers collagen supplement. Nobody ever mentioned the allergens in it, nor did the packaging or brand website state clearly that people with a shellfish allergy shouldn’t use it. It only stated it contained fish, which I’m not allergic to and eat regularly.
The amount of false and misleading claims that brands and influencers make about certain products is concerning especially when so many people will trust and follow (often blindly) what they’re told by their favourite influencer.
I hope this is actually regulated in some tangible way, but given that it’s been in place since 1/1/2022 and I’m seeing more ads for wellness products than ever before, I’m doubtful.
I assume consumers will be the ones having to report brands and influencers just like with advertising breaches.
Brogantatexo showing off her free £700 bed (she had earlier Posted & then deleted a story of herself screeching “what a time to be alive” in excitement over it being delivered today and then offering her followers a 50% off code.. really. I think people have other things to be worried about right now hun!!
So many influencers in the UK promote supplements and skincare so fingers crossed something similar is introduced.
The papers are always going on about something needs to be done about tattle (because it allows opinions that these busisnes entities can't delete), but silent about influencers damaging unregulated actions on society
The MLM huns trying to portray their overpriced face sanders as essential part of skincare, a fantastic ‘business’ opportunity and their use of scientific claims with no evidence whatsoever.
A friend of mine goes to her parents (lovely) house to film her content and although she doesn’t actually say to her followers that it’s her house, they are obviously lead to believe that. She then goes back home to the one bed flat she rents with her boyfriend.
It really annoyed me when Dog's Trust apparently paid Mrs Hinch 10 grand to have a Dog's Trust highlight on her Instagram page! I stopped donating money after that and just send the odd toys and treats now.
On the high low podcast (journalists dolly alderton and pandora Sykes talking about culture and current affairs and such) one of them mentioned looking at this daily mail article on the Beckham (against their better judgement). The article had republished all these photos from their various Instagram accounts of them gadding about on their estate in the Cotswolds. As she pointed out though it’s “fair enough, they live there” it felt an incredibly tasteless thing to be posting right now. Most interestingly though, she said the comments weren’t the usual vitriol filled love to hate troll fest but far more sincere and sad. People saying they don’t know how they’re going to pay rent or worried about loved ones they can’t see. They aren’t exactly influencers but it’s a similar thing, this crisis has put what matters into a stark perspective that exposes people like the Beckhams, or many influencers, for the shallow small minded tasteless people they are. And it’s not ‘fun’ to hate them when it’s like that.
I couldn’t agree more with the ‘tasteless’ comment. There are families stuck in high rises, no gardens, crowded and without the funds to do all this crafty bullshit that they’re all flogging. Loads of people have been laid off work and will struggle with bills and there’s Gordon Ramsey moaning he’s never had to cook so much for his family whilst isolating in their Seaside second home. I’m not a fan but at least Jamie Oliver is doing something positive with some ideas on how to cook with limited ingredients. It just feels like this lot are rubbing our noses in it. My ‘word of the moment’ is ‘vacuous’ apparently I’m saying it a lot . This whole ‘Influencer’ thing is vacuous. Pointless. Get a proper job and get your hands dirty
Wish I had that money back! Going forward I'm much more inclined to invest, reuse etc, just like we all did 50, 60 years ago. From 70s onwards consumerism has exploded. We need a bit more of 'make do an mend', 'reduce, reuse, recycle' mentality. I do wonder though at this point as a society are we trapped into consumerism forever because the economy and jobs depend on the scale of production and exchanges we are used to? So many livelihoods depend on retail and consumption 
It will be interesting how it all goes in the next decade...Oh and The White Company keep on advertising their products too by gifting or paying fees. The worst was a £1k outdoor fire pit gifted to a very wealthy family. The greed of these people who take take take and advertise to make money, but insist they are only doing it to share with their loyal followers. Yeah right!
it just really bugged me. 
. This whole ‘Influencer’ thing is vacuous. Pointless. Get a proper job and get your hands dirty 