The scandal surrounding influencer Chiara Ferragni continues to spread. Even Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni got in touch.
Rome – The Italian Instagram celebrity Chiara Ferragni with almost 30 million followers deceived her followers with a video. Now she is returning from the scandal. But the desire for oblivion could be deceptive: large companies like Coca-Cola are distancing themselves.
Influencer doesn't post anything on Instagram for 18 days because of the scandal – then only her hand
For an influencer, 18 days is probably an eternity. Since the week before Christmas, there has been absolute silence on Chiara Ferragni's Instagram profile. Now the Italian, who has almost 30 million followers worldwide, has reported again for the first time: A picture in the stories, still without a face, but with deep black nail polish, a cup in her hand, a friendly buongiorno and a heart. Not a word about the misleading advertising scandal that rocked its international community in the last month of last year and brought Italy into it.
New Year New luck? Has everything been forgotten again? If that was the hope, it may prove illusory. Now the first corporate customers on which the multi-millionaire's business model is mainly based are distancing themselves: The beverage giant Coca-Cola has just announced that it is abandoning an already filmed commercial that was supposed to be broadcast at the Sanremo Music Festival at the end of January. For Italy, this is comparable to if Rihanna had been briefly excluded from the halftime break of the Super Bowl last year.
It is important to know that Ferragni can certainly keep up with the right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in her home country. The 36-year-old, married to the Italian rapper Fedez (14.7 million followers) and mother of two small children, is also known to many in Germany. In recent years she has cleverly played the gossip columns and social channels, including having her own reality show on television. In addition to her sales talent, she also increasingly commented on social issues.
A million euro fine – but Ferragni defends himself against it, even Meloni intervenes
The surprise, disappointment and anger were all the greater when the national antitrust authority AGCM imposed a million euro fine on them for unfair competition shortly before Christmas. The reason: Ferragni had led her huge community to believe that most of the proceeds from a cake she was promoting called “Pink Christmas” (price: nine euros) would go to a children's cancer ward. In reality, the Regina Margherita Hospital in Turin did not receive a single cent, despite selling more than 360,000 cakes. Campaigns for Easter eggs and a doll may have had similar patterns.
Several public prosecutors are now dealing with the issue. Prime Minister Meloni used the Ferragni case to have a new law examined for more transparency in such Internet sites. There were nasty comments on Ferragni's Instagram profile. Her luxury boutique in Rome was daubed with inscriptions such as “Bandita” (“Bandit”) and “Truffatrice” (“Fraud”). Shortly before Christmas she finally released an apology video, but this only made the situation worse.
In the video, Ferragni presented herself strongly staged in the role of the sinner: subtle make-up, in mouse-gray knitwear, a fragile voice, close to tears. She spoke of a “communication error”, wanted to avoid such “misunderstandings” in the future and announced that she would donate one million euros to the children's cancer ward in Turin. At the same time, she declared that she was contesting the cartel office's decision and wanted to demand the money back. Many people didn't believe her performance. Shortly afterwards, the eyewear manufacturer Safilo (brands like “Boss”) was the first company to terminate the collaboration.
Apology video even makes the top a top seller
Almost at the same time as the return to Instagram, Coca-Cola also announced that it would stop working with the influencer until further notice. Other previous advertising partners are now closely watching what is happening: Italian companies such as the luxury fashion manufacturer Tod's and the lingerie brands Intimissimi and Calzedonia, but also international corporations such as L'Oréal, Nestlé and Procter & Gamble. How things will turn out for Ferragni and her company is still uncertain.
According to the magazine “Oggi”, the influencer has now lost more than 70,000 followers on Instagram. In addition, many are said to have said goodbye quietly. Marketing expert Giampaolo Colletti says: “The crisis that Ferragni is experiencing takes us into unknown territory. This is the first fall from the Olympus of influencers.” The most important thing for her now is to regain credibility. So far, most experts are of the opinion that the Internet does not forgive, but it also quickly forgets.
At the moment the signs are not yet clear. At the start of the Italian winter sales this weekend, Ferragni's boutique in Rome was pretty empty. The saleswomen were busy folding sweaters. On the other hand: The mouse gray jumpsuit made of wool and angora (price: 600 euros) that Ferragni wore in her apology video was completely sold out shortly afterwards. The colors black and white are now completely sold out. (thanks with dpa)
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