Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

In thinking that celebs have enough without all the freebies?

36 replies

ProfessorMoody · 03/10/2018 09:20

More than happy to be told IABU, but is it just me that sees celebrities on Instagram being constantly sent freebies for their children and their homes?

Take Giovanna Fletcher for example. Married to a pop star turned writer, an author in her own right and can't be struggling with money. However she's always opening "presents" from companies, clothes for the children, toys, furniture, homewares etc.

Obviously this is done so she'll show them on Instagram and generate sales for whoever has gifted them, which is all well and good and an obvious advertising tactic.

However, it annoys me, perhaps irrationally, but it does. There are so many babies and older children out there who are desperate for clothes and toys and essentials. So many struggling parents who would be so grateful for things like this. Sending them to a celebrity who already has most of these things, and can afford to buy them for herself, seems a bit of a shit thing to do when there are needy children everywhere.

It breaks my heart to see Giovanna open yet another parcel of beautiful children's clothes when I've had to buy children at school socks and pants out of my own money because they just don't have them.

As I said, perfectly willing to be told IABU.

OP posts:
thecatsthecats · 03/10/2018 09:27

Well, YABabitU to bring any sort of 'right' about it into.

There will be women as rich as Giovanna who don't get freebies and don't open them on instagram... because that's the whole bloody point! She opens them up, people who follow her buy them - and she has a huge number of folowers. Nelly No-Socks from the local primary probably doesn't have a huge instagram following. It's an ugly part of capitalism but not an illogical one.

I thought this was going to be about the goody-bags at award shows etc - now those are obscene. Most professions don't have an entire season of self-adulation AND massive expensive goody bags into the bargain..

UNOwen · 03/10/2018 09:29

^ yes cats I think goody bags at award shows - I think there's a gifting room at some of them - is disgusting.

ProfessorMoody · 03/10/2018 09:30

I totally agree that's the whole point - it's all about sales and marketing. It just seems so... wrong. But then a lot of aspects of selling things are wrong, so maybe IABU Smile

I guess if I was one of these freebie-receiving celebs, I'd donate the things I was gifted. Maybe she does.

Not sure I've seen the goody bags!

OP posts:
Storm4star · 03/10/2018 09:30

I don’t think you are BU at all. I agree with you but, as you say, it’s for advertising. It’s always been this way. Have you ever seen the goody bags the big stars get given when they attend various parties? Thousands of pounds worth of gifts. I do find it somewhat obscene.

Storm4star · 03/10/2018 09:31

Cross posted with the cats there!

flopsyrabbit1 · 03/10/2018 09:31

agree op ive stopped following some on instagram because of this

but you should not have to buy socks etc for your students,thats neglectful imo,are the parents ever pulled on this

poor kids

Kindnessplease · 03/10/2018 09:31

You should have a read about what the Oscar goodie bags contain......

Fatasfook · 03/10/2018 09:33

The companies “gifting” these items is advertising for them. Celebrity has item, public then want item. If it didn’t work they wouldn’t do it. So it’s back to the consumer to not be sucked in by this method, then the companies have no reason to “gift” celebrities

BertsFriend · 03/10/2018 09:34

We were talking about this last night because our neighbour plays for England. Brand new 100K car every six months delivered by the sponsors for him, and a similar but slightly smaller one for his wife. It's just wrong.

ProfessorMoody · 03/10/2018 09:34

I'm off to look for the goody bags!

OP posts:
SuchAToDo · 03/10/2018 09:37

Because when they wear them/use the product online or in public or in tv it's free advertising for the company..

It's not a free gift it's from the companies eyes, it's alot of free advertising resulting in lots of sales and money that they didnt have to pay for...all for sending one product to that celebrity...

If you are that envious and want your own free stuff, build up you own YouTube /Instagram/social media following and then ask companies to send stuff for you to review...some may and some might not,

Believeitornot · 03/10/2018 09:37

I agree. It’s consumerism at its worst.
Give the freebies to those who can most afford it and encourage those who can’t to spend money to buy buy buy.

DaphneDiligaf · 03/10/2018 09:38

No point in getting upset because it's not going to stop but YANBU.
Let's hope the gifts get passed on to charity!
I find it incredibly sad that people send gifts to the Royal Family, I mean ordinary people not companies but how lonely must these people be to do that?

SinisterBumFacedCat · 03/10/2018 09:38

I agree with you about celebrities, however if it's a YouTuber it's kind of their job to promote these things online. But when rich celebrities get sent free stuff I think it would be nice of them to donate it to charities as they don't really need it. I know someone who meets a lot of celebrities and they have wardrobes of clothes they are sent and never wear, what a waste!

ProfessorMoody · 03/10/2018 09:38

If you are that envious and want your own free stuff

I'm not envious in the slightest. I honestly don't want free things - I'm lucky enough to be able to support my own life, it just sucks when I see children every day who have nothing.

OP posts:
flopsyrabbit1 · 03/10/2018 09:39

Kerry Katona was advertising a debt agency the other day

oh the irony of the woman that went bankrupt twice

also fern maccan is flogging of her freebies (clothes worn once etc)

AngeloMysterioso · 03/10/2018 09:40

It pisses me off too OP. It often has the opposite effect on me in that it actually makes me not buy their product. If they can afford to give their goods away they clearly don’t need my custom!

Bluelady · 03/10/2018 09:42

Expecting capitalism to be charitable is like expecting a lion to be vegetarian.

Clearly there's supplying freebies enhances profits or they wouldn't do it.

ProfessorMoody · 03/10/2018 09:44

Expecting capitalism to be charitable is like expecting a lion to be vegetarian

Heh, true Smile

Same, Angelo. I'd rather support someone else.

OP posts:
AngeloMysterioso · 03/10/2018 09:48

The thing is though, if they instead went about it by donating their products to charities which support low income families- or did an Ellen/Oprah and actually gave it directly to struggling families- then I would buy it. I’m not gonna support a company who gives expensive stuff to millionaires for free but expects everyone else to shell out for it.

Justanotherlurker · 03/10/2018 09:48

Clearly there's supplying freebies enhances profits or they wouldn't do it.

It also enhances profits when they do good deeds for charity, so both sides of the same coin are played equally.

No one is free of consumrism however much they like to profess.

Bluelady · 03/10/2018 09:55

I don't agree. A luxury car company will derive no benefit from charitable donations, their target market wouldn't be influenced in the way they would by seeing the product driven by a high profile footballer. Same with a high end handbag, women who can afford those will be seduced into buying one by seeing eg Alexa Chung with one on her arm, not by charitable giving.

fruitshot · 03/10/2018 09:55

I agree with you op and don't think you are BU.

The amount of charitable causes they so called support, yet the blatant display of capitalism doesn't sit right with me.

I would love to have an honest Q&A about it. I know I would be told that they spend hours setting up a picture and there is so much work behind the scenes blah blah, but, that's not the case for the celebrities ones flogging us more free stuff they've been gifted for their over indulged children.

glintandglide · 03/10/2018 09:59

It’s just life though isn’t it? Capitalism. Giovannas children would still have more than most without the freebies

OatsBeansBarley · 03/10/2018 10:00

I remember thinking this when pram companies gave freebies to various members of The Spice Girls.

Swipe left for the next trending thread