Arrest the Influencers?

The *vibes* are actually illegal

Revolve, the influencer favorite online fashion giant known for its Insta aesthetic and all expenses paid marketing trips, is facing a $50 million class action lawsuit. The case claims that Revolve paid influencers Cindy Mello, Tika Camaj, and Nienke Jansz to post about products without disclosing they were paid. A woman says she bought Revolve items under the impression they were authentic endorsements, not ads, and that Revolve also used this lack of transparency to justify raising prices on those specific items pushed by influencers.

At first glance, the lawsuit might seem laughable. Like, obviously influencers are selling you stuff. Duh.

But it taps into something deeper: how easy it is to believe we are above being influenced, and how much marketing depends on that belief to work.