Influencer Chronicles Issue #14 is here. Did you miss us? Cause we missed you! Fall season is officially here – marked by cozy weather and yet another downFALL of Sydney Sweeney!This month, we’re covering it all: from a ridiculously sexy Joe Jonas campaign and the rising debate around AI influencers to our second guest writer breaking down the Substack era. So grab a coffee, a blanket, and a friend, and settle in for all the latest gossip .
On the radar
SEXY AD, BUT MAKE IT JOE JONAS-CODED
Another day, another Joe Jonas move cracking up the internet. He is the new face of Kenneth Cole’s men’s fragrance, Inspire, and the campaign is pure, unhinged Joe. It starts right off with “This was all Joe Jonas’s idea”, and that’s not hard to imagine, because nobody does self-mockery quite like him. Like he said, fragrance campaigns are typically very serious and sexy, so he put his own fun spin on it, all while still looking ridiculous good. Brands, take notes: this is how you leverage talent that actually knows how to make content people want to watch!
JLAW ENTERED THE CHAT 💅
After years of avoiding opening an Instagram account, Jennifer Lawrence finally joined the platform and instantly made herself home with the username:@jlaw and a very on-brand warning to the internet: Say something mean and she’ll quit. She even followed up with: “Please be mindful that any mean or aggressive comments can affect the baby. It’s me. I’m the baby.” Hollywood quickly showed up to welcome her, with celebrities flooding her comments with love. Less than a month in, she’s already hit 7.9M followers and a reported 102% engagement rate. Consider her officially welcomed.
AN END OF AN ERA OR A START OF A NEW ONE?
After 12 years of awkward banter and iconic dates, Amelia Dimoldenberg is officially wrapping up Chicken Shop Date. But while it feels like the end of an era, Amelia sees it as just the beginning. Between hosting red carpets, making her SNL UK debut, starring in major brand campaigns, and producing a romantic comedy for Amazon MGM Studios’ Orion Pictures, her calendar is packed. Her final season drops this month and once it wraps, the entire series will be available on Netflix. We can’t wait to see what she does next. Here’s to new beginnings!
Topics of the month
ARE AI INFLUENCERS THE FUTURE?
While hyper-realistic AI figures previously flopped due to backlash over deception (remember the fake Wimbledon attendance drama?), this new wave is different. Instead of trying to pass as human, exaggerated characters like Jean Phil lean into the joke. He started posting just 3 weeks ago and already hit over 400k followers across TikTok and Instagram. At this point, making them is SO easy it feels unfair, and with more companies building these fictional personalities for social, the competition is on with real-world creators fighting to secure the same brand deals and space.
YOUTUBE REACT LIVE FEATURE
YouTube just launched its new “React Live” feature. Creators can now stream another creator’s live broadcast directly on their live and comment on it, in real time. YouTube even automatically dims the original audio when you speak so the audience can hear your commentary. Unless the original creator manually turns the setting off beforehand, anyone can duet their livestream without them having any idea. While the original creator gets credit for the extra viewers from your stream and watch time, the reactor gets to keep the ad revenue from their own stream. Interesting split, isn’t it?
THE COMMENTS ARE GETTING AN UPGRADE
TikTok is giving the comment section a glow-up! You can now reply with voice overs, carousels and polls, taking reactions way beyond a simple “😂”. Creators have always found ways to turn their comment sections into conversations. Whether you’re singing along with a creator, reacting to a plot twist or turning a hot take into a poll, the conversation doesn’t have to stop at the post.
The takeaway? On TikTok, the comments aren’t just where the conversation happens. They’re becoming part of the content.
You really never know what your next scroll is going to be, and sometimes TikTok genuinely surprises you. The internet can be a dark place, but if you train your algorithm well, it can also be a beautiful escape, even when tackling heavy topics. When Julia Dang was diagnosed with cancer, she certainly struggled with the news, but she decided to do what she does best: handle it like the baddie she is. The only thing you can control is your mindset and staying hopeful. So, she started a CANCER DIARY – pulling up to chemo like a bad b*tch, serving looks in oncology, all while her best friends have her back.
Why should you follow them?
It’s refreshing to see how powerful our minds can be. Everyone has their own way of dealing with heavy news, but we bet there’s someone out there who will see Julia’s strength and find the push they needed for their own journey.
If you thought corporate life couldn’t get any stranger, meet Niles. Crocs’ newest employee is a six-foot crocodile navigating life at HQ in his own comedy series from becoming the office DJto trying not to eat his coworkers, Niles is giving us the unfiltered reality of corporate life. He doesn’t speak, but somehow communicates everything through death rolls, chaotic reactions and questionable workplace decisions. Crocs says the series is designed more like a sitcom than a traditional mascot campaign, with Niles growing into his own character along the way.
Why should you follow them?
Because corporate life isn’t easy, but at least Niles is making it entertaining. From awkward office moments to doing a death roll to get what he wants, he’s giving corporate culture the no-filter treatment and honestly, who better to navigate the workplace than a croc?
Guest Writer of the Month
Amni Raihan
Strategist at We Are Social & Substack Writer (@thefieldtest)
When I first joined Substack, it felt like a writer’s version of Tumblr. Amateur writers all around would share their writing along with classic memes of Carrie Bradshaw typing up her columns with a cigarette in her mouth…
But the platform has become a space for everyone, including celebrities and influencers. For celebrities, it’s a place to escape the fast-paced algorithm platforms, and maybe maintain a sense of normalcy. Mark Ruffalo joins for a ‘different kind of deeper engagement’, Rosalia writes in Spanish about life on tour, Lena Dunham talks about life as a mother, and Hayley Williams about her relationship with faith. These pieces let them choose which parts of their lives they share, a controlled intimacy. Even if Pamela Anderson charges extra by paywalling her content.
This intimacy has even bred Substack influencers in their own right. People sharing their own stories of becoming redundant, or behind the scenes industry expertise, or even of their love lives. Club Reticent, an Amsterdam-based writer with 25k subscribers, has posts sponsored by Hinge. Long-form content, once considered a relic in the attention economy, seems to coming back, as the newest way of making someone feel like you’re talking to them personally. A kind of trust that’s harder and harder to find.
This infiltration of celebrities has sparked some backlash, a fear that the platform could become too commercial. But for now, this intimacy still feels real. At least if you follow the right people. It hasn’t become LinkedIn, yet.
Spill the tea
1. Maybelline, get a grip!
Maybelline had a great idea, but then made the wrong move. Playing on the “girls’ grip” trend, they linked the concept to their Grippy Primer Serum. It was a perfect fit, so naturally, they reached out to @girlscarryingshit, who declined due to L’Oréal’s ties to Israel. Instead of pivoting, Maybelline got other influencers to execute the same concept. Unfortunately for them, every chronically online girl knows the OG trend way too well, and now people are calling out Maybelline for copying @girlscarryingshit. It’s a shame to see a good idea backfire like this.
2. Medals, nudes and values
Sydney Sweeney did it once again! After repeatedly addressing criticism towards her she proceeds to make the most controversial ad yet. The real controversy, however, isn’t about her image, but it’s the underlying message: that no matter the medals or titles, women in sports continue to be objectified. The phrase that started it all was: “Think you know sports? Prove it.” Which led to a massive wave of responses, with women across disciplines, from Gracie Kramer to athletes such as Amy Hunt and Tilly Hearns to major organizations like BVB taking a stand.
From Joe Jonas’s hilarious fragrance ad to JLaw’s debut on Instagram and Amelia wrapping Chicken Shop Date, these stars prove that being genuinely themselves is what keeps them at the forefront. Whether it’s leaning into self-mockery or bringing unhinged humor to social media, these moments prove that authentic, unfiltered charm will always beat generic content. The takeaway? Don’t take yourself too seriously, humor, self-awareness, and personal brand are what truly keep audiences hooked.
EVERYONE WANTS IN ON THE ACTION
Honestly, keeping up with social media always feels like a wild ride. Between AI creators grabbing 400k followers in two weeks, YouTube letting creators live-react on stream, and TikTok turning comment sections into full-on voice-over threads, content is getting WAY more interactive. What does this mean? Audiences don’t just want to watch from the sidelines anymore, they want to be part of the show.
All eyes on you
Looking across this month, from brand callouts to Sydney’s spicy debate, one thing’s clear: playing it safe is dead. Spicy, opinionated content is everywhere, forcing the entire feed to pick a side. But the real plot twist? It’s not just creators in the hot seat anymore. With comment sections becoming the ultimate battleground, commenters are taking on just as much risk. Takeaway? Watch what you drop online because right now, all eyes are on everyone.
