Melody Nouri, of Santa Clara University, looked at the phenomenon of media influencers, and found that in one single critical respect, what she calls ‘micro-celebrities’ influence contemporary ‘pop’ culture fashion and beauty trends significantly more than the traditional celebrities that stimulated the buying power and purchasing habits of earlier generations.
Maybe they feel ‘closer’ and ‘more connected’ to their peers than we ever thought possible, that they can engage through social media without that, glamorous or unattainable star of the silver screen, and feel that they ‘connect’ with the influencer who is ‘more like them,’ in a more organic or authentic manner.
The influencers themselves each have their own unique set of priorities, their imagery profiles, and ‘their’ brand loyalties, because it’s not all about the look, the lifestyle, and the love. Media influencers, at the end of the day, do it for the money, and social media stars appear to do very well thank you, out of endorsements and product placement.
Of course, if an influencer you follow is wearing, and praising, a new Adidas tracksuit you will be influenced towards that brand the next time you do, or if they are drinking coffee from a big mug with a Nescafe logo, you will lean towards that brand when you are next out shopping. There’s no subtlety at all about it, in fact it’s a bit like cracking a nut with a sledgehammer as producers and marketing agencies split their advertising budgets between social and traditional media.
Imagery was once everything, and whether it is the abiding image of James Dean, iconic as he smoldered in a leather jacket and Lee Rider 101Z jeans in the 1955 movie ‘Rebel Without a Cause,’ as he portrayed the raw what was seen as an entire generation of confused, frustrated, urban slum, typically American 18- and 19-year-olds.
And didn’t those jeans fly? Dean, and Lee jeans was a global marketing phenomenon! Tragically he died a year later during the making of his next film, Giant, when a speeding driver crashed into his Porsche at an intersection.
Audrey Hepburn, with her stunningly coiffured, brunette chic, unique gamine style, graced a Hubert de Givenchy ‘little black dress,’ iconic now as an ‘LBD’ in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s,’ with George Peppard, and they sold out across America within days! Her cigarette holder, headscarves, trench coats, polo necks, and ballet flat shoes simultaneously ‘liberated, and sophisticated’ women around the world in their millions.
Marilyn Monroe, on the other hand, did it for blondes when she dazzled in ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,’ and ‘Some Like it Hot,’ and the iconic photo of her in a white dress made New York’s subway grate on the South-west corner of Lexington Avenue and 52nd Street the most famous in the world. Monroe had not had an easy life, and was a struggling model for a long time before her carefully cultivated ‘blonde bombshell’ persona saw her star ascend. Epitomising something of a fashion revolution with her blonde hair, red lipstick, and fabulous body, Monroe bought out the ‘naughty’ side of the fifties.
Grace Kelly though, was the movie star who became a real-life princess. Fabulous in white button-down blouses, classically cut dresses, and demure swimsuits, there is only one Grace Kelly! The world though, was full of wannabees, and the elegance and simple silhouettes, the sheer grace, forgive the pun, of her attire, her flawless complexion, and her cut glass accent saw her wedding scene in ‘High Society,’ rerun in real life, in 1956, when she married Prince Ranier III of Morocco.
Now I kid you not! This week’s column started out as a discussion on the merits and effectiveness of social media, compared to the micro-celebrity social media influencers of today, but I got a bit sidetracked, and don’t mind a bit! This has been fun... and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world!
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