By Charlotte Phillipp
While there are some things they can still do, influencers are the latest group affected by the strikes
Hollywood is in a rather historic period of time — since Ronald Reagan was the head of the actors’ union, the Writer’s Guild of America and the Screen Actor’s Guild are both on strike at the same time. Massive film premieres have been cancelled, and release dates have been postponed as a result of the strikes. However, actors and writers aren’t the only groups being impacted.
In recent years, influencers have become a massive part of film and television companies’ marketing strategy. Influencers from all different backgrounds lined the pink carpet of the Barbie premiere, and it’s commonplace for influencers to promote the upcoming season of a show like The Summer I Turned Pretty on their TikTok pages.
“The devotion to this part of marketing is probably the biggest change during the COVID era,” Marc Weinstock, the president of worldwide marketing and distribution at Paramount Pictures, told Insider. “I think it was exacerbated by the fact that a lot of people were watching TikTok videos because they were stuck at home. So why wouldn’t you have creators have fun with your campaign and get the word out that way?”
But many of these creators fall under contracts that have been impacted by the SAG strike. The union has said that influencers who “[perform] covered work or services for a struck company during the strike will not be admitted into membership in SAG-AFTRA.”
According to the union, there are a few different forms of influencing that are prohibited during the strike, such as accepting new work to promote a theatrical film, TV show, or content from a streaming service or participating in conventions like Comic-Con “on behalf of, or to promote, companies [actors] are striking against.”
There are a few exceptions, however — the union advised that influencer should fulfill any already-existing contracts, and brand partnerships are 100% allowed.
iCarly showrunner and SAG-AFTRA and WGA member Francesca Ramsey took to TikTok, where she also has a substantial following for her influencing work, spoke frankly to social media stars with hopes to move into the traditional entertainment industry.
“If you are a content creator or influencer with any aspirations to become an actor or a writer in the future, now is not the time to take a job because the rest of us are on strike,” Ramsey said. “Taking an acting job or a writing job right now is considered scabbing and it will hurt your career in the future.”
Another influencer, Darcy Michael, told the New York Times that a network offered him $25,000 for a sponsorship deal — particularly high for someone with his number of followers — just days before the actors’ union went on strike. According to the Darcy and Jer comedian, he declined the offer after realizing the price may have been driven up because of the strike.
“I told my team, I was like, ‘In no uncertain terms until the strike is over. We’re not crossing picket lines,'” Michael said to the Times. “I also just feel like this strike in particular is monumental for all industries. I think we’re leading the pack in making sure that workers are protected, especially from A.I. intervention. If it means that we’re going to pinch our pennies for a few months, we’re going to pinch our pennies.”
The full details of what influencers are permitted to do amidst the strikes can be found on SAG’s website.
Feature Image Credit: VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images