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As you may know Tarte just launched their brand new Maracuja Juicy Lip Vinyl. Maracuja Juicy anything is the next Shape Tape. Tarte’s been riding the Shape Tape train since 2016 and created an empire of products out of the name. Their new viral moment is Maracuja Lip anything and I’m here for it because I do think the formula is amazing but at some point, we all know we’ll get a little sick of it. But right now? I’m loving this formula.
To celebrate their new launch Tarte did a Trippin’ with Tarte promotion and marketing trip featuring a slew of different influencers that don’t only have backgrounds in makeup but also, ones that focus on home and fashion life. I think everyone is fairly familiar with the Trippin’ with Tarte campaign but if not I’ll explain a little. Tarte rounds up a bunch of influencers and brings them on luxurious, elaborate trips. One their favorite destinations is Bora Bora which is where they went this time but they’ve also had trips to exotic locations like Dubai. Do these trips sell products to consumers is the question everyone wants to know. If we see a bunch of influencers in the wild squealing and screaming on a beautiful beach does it make us want to purchase product more?
Not if Tiktok has anything to say about it. There are a slew of videos circulating regarding the recent Trippin’ with Tarte and none of them are good. A lot of people are calling the recent trip tone-deaf due to the current issues with the economy. Others are saying that seeing a bunch of influencers traveling to exotic locations leaves a bad taste in their mouths and makes them want to boycott the brand. Whereas others are saying Tarte’s intent is to make people rant about these trips in an “any publicity is a good publicity” stunt.
Negativity like this isn’t new by any means as Tarte got a bit of grief after their Dubai trip last Spring as well. Brand trips have been happening for years so why is the world suddenly grumpy about them? We can only blame the current challenges many people are facing in a poor economy. When you’re out there working hard and trying to feed your family the last thing you want to see is a bunch of people receiving free products and trips. But also, we have to realize that’s all part of influencer culture and if you follow brands or influencers at some point you’re going to run into lavish displays of marketing. Is it tone-deaf? That question is a double-edged sword. Yes, on some level it is but also, these are brands that are trying to remain relevant and on top of their game and they know exactly how and who to tap into to get the word out of their latest launch out there. They invite influencers who have millions of followers and yeah, they may get some hate but there are also a ton of people who love the people they follow and will buy anything they are willing to endorse. The good outweighs the bad in many cases as Tarte, for example, is thriving after all these years where as brands like Urban Decay are struggling to stay relevant. Parasocial relationships are a real thing and I’ve seen a lot of it on TikTok where people are willing to send money, gifts, and more to their favorite Tiktokers. And of course, they’ll purchase anything that the influencer is willing to endorse.
I think what people tend to forget is we all have a choice. If Brand Trips are annoying or you feel they’re tone deaf (I personally can’t take the squealing and screaming and drunken Instagram stories!) you can always not follow, block, or just silence notifications from brands like Tarte.
What’s your take on lavish brand trips? Are they tone-deaf? Or do you just ignore them and move on? I stay in my lane so I just tend to ignore and move on. Although I do have moments where I’m like wow, Tarte is dropping a lot of money on these trips but also, I have to remind myself they are likely getting good deals on these trips due to the exposure they are bringing to these locations! What’s your take? Do share!
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