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Mix flour, eggs, water and red food dye and you get… a Marc Jacobs tote bag?
Nara Smith usually posts TikToks of herself making food from scratch — from waffles to bubblegum to grilled cheese (including the butter, cheese and bread). Last week, she made a handbag. A “delicious, red Marc Jacobs tote bag”, as Smith described it in her signature disaffected monotone. The brand tapped the model and content creator to “make” a mini tote in Smith’s typical video format. The next day, the brand posted a campaign featuring Smith for its new denim chain tote bag.
The video has been viewed 13.7 million times (at the time of publishing) and generated $966,000 in media impact value (MIV) on TikTok, and $285,000 on Instagram, according to Launchmetrics, in the first 48 hours of publishing. This just surpasses Smith’s typical MIV on her own posts: $948,000 on TikTok; $277,000 on Instagram. By brand standards, the content generated an MIV 149 times that of an average Marc Jacobs influencer TikTok post; and 44 times the Instagram average.
TikTok content
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“This campaign respects Nara’s creative format,” says brand strategist Clara Escoms. “Not many brands are able to maintain a creator’s voice while introducing their products into their narrative.” (That said, the campaign has also drawn criticism for its likeness to a TikTok posted by creator Mary Korlin-Downs back in December, in which she ‘makes’ a Marc Jacobs bag in the oven.)
Smith’s internet star has exploded this year: her TikTok followers are up 700 per cent since 9 January, and Instagram is up 670 per cent, according to influencer marketing platform Lefty. And it’s translating to serious brand heat. One “get to know me” video, in which Smith introduces herself while doing her makeup, raked in MIV for the brands featured. It generated an MIV 130 times higher than the average influencer post for Mac Cosmetics and an MIV 100 times higher than the average influencer post for Summer Fridays, according to Launchmetrics.
