Before her song propelled her to TikTok virality, Boni had been leveraging the platform to share comedy skits and other humor-focused content as a hobby while she worked full-time as a sales representative at licensed sports apparel manufacturer Outerstuff, she said. The only brand that she had worked with in her four years creating TikTok content was fashion company White Fox Boutique, which sent her some free clothing and requested she make a few videos in exchange, she said.
So, when big-name brands began commenting on her video, “my first instinct, because I didn’t do this full-time, was like, ‘Send me free shit!’” Boni said. She responded to comments from Mr. Clean and Crocs with, “Send me free cleaning products I beg!!!!” and “Oh my god please send me free crocs,” respectively.
Both brands fulfilled Boni’s requests—Crocs mailed her a free pair of shoes and Procter & Gamble-owned Mr. Clean sent a box of its Magic Eraser sponges, she said. A slew of other brands have sent her PR packages, too, including YSL Beauty (“even though I don’t wear makeup,” Boni said), Poppi, Tate’s Bake Shop and Fruit of the Loom, she said.
“We do content creation for a number of brands, and we don’t engage in just anything—it has to really align with the brand,” said Dave Kersey, chief media officer at GSD&M. “We can’t just take too many risks,” added Kersey, whose agency handles social media for Fruit of the Loom.