Influencer Effect — Euphoria
Fashion and television have long been intertwined — from Carrie Bradshaw’s eye-catching ensemble to Queen B’s classy, posh looks, to the IT-Girl Serena van der Woodsen, to Emily Coopers chic boogie style — the relation is inevitable. Lately, this relationship has been personified by HBO’s smashing high school drama “Euphoria” making a statement not just on television but online. Euphoria is the most tweeted show of the decade so far in the US with over 30 million tweets since season 2 premiered on January 9th.
The Buzz Builds
Besides Zendaya, the Euphoria cast’s Instagram handle and the top 50 luxury brands skyrocket in line with the launch of season 2.
The cast of the show has bagged a large number of media attention, brand ambassadorships, collaborations, campaigns, and magazine covers and spreads. Including deals with Valentino, Lancôme, Bulgari, Prada, YSL Beauty, and also as fashion week fixtures.
I can’t help but wonder — How?
The show’s subject matter includes drug abuse and sexual assault. That’s definitely not pleasant, with bitchy characters and DRAMA — amid all the drama the world is already facing.
I believe, the reason for the success of the show and the influence created on the fashion industry and Gen Z is its authenticity and diversity. Gen Z’s purchasing power is over $140 billion and 45% of Gen Zers are almost always online. Gen Z gravitates toward content that grapples with big issues facing society, as purpose and politics are core to this generation’s identity — Mental health is one of the biggest. And the Euphoria cast represents just that — a variety of body types, sexual orientations, identities, and racial backgrounds.
In My Opinion:
The increase in television influence is greater now because of the impact of society culture, the openness with which topics are discussed. And most importantly the identity of brands, the stand they chose to take while associating with members of diverse communities, the message they want to convey, and the dialogue they are willing to have with their customers making them feel heard.
It’s clear the largest audience today is Gen Z, and they bank on emotions like personality, authenticity, diversity, and inclusion. Gen Z’s and brands appeal to these emotions by taking stands on socially important topics and showing empathy and inclusivity in order to grab the attention of their audience. The audience then consumes this content or purchase that item converting the intangible influencer to something more tangible and monetary.
The influence television has in fashion has been here for a while but the social impact its creating, well that’s just getting started.
