If you’re anything like me, May is an exciting month for you. It starts with Met Ball Monday and ends with the red carpet looks from the annual Cannes Film Festival.

I am, by no means, a fashionable person. My personal sense of style is more toward the classics – your denims with plain tees, white shirts, LBDs, and the likes. I rarely experiment with my look, but it does intrigue me. And so, every time an event happens, I religiously run to Vogue to see who made it to the Best and Worst Dressed lists.

So, imagine my disappointment when this year, there were no memorable looks at either. And, our very own Aishwarya Rai was a huge miss at Cannes.

But the looks served by influencer Nancy Tyagi have been phenomenal. The best part about her looks? She’s created her outfits herself. Her Instagram feed is worth a visit. The girl sources fabric from local markets and uses her own trusty sewing machine to re-create designer wear. And sometimes, her looks trump her inspirations. Fascinating, isn’t it?

There has been a high influx of influencers at Festival de Cannes this year. In fact, it has been the case for quite a few years now. Not just Indians, but also Korean and American influencers have become a common sight at the Riviera at the end of May each year. Have influencers truly gone global? Or something else is the case here entirely.

It’s All About the Money, Honey!

It comes down – as it often does – to money! I have always been under the impression that attending Cannes Film Festival is a matter of prestige. Well, it still is, if you have a movie premiering at the festival and you get a few tickets to bring your cast and crew along. Or, if you’re the face of a global brand and they bring you on board as their brand ambassador. Like Aishwarya Rai or Sonam Kapoor for L’Oréal. Or Deepika Padukone for Lakmé.

Turns out, that’s not the only way to walk the elusive (or so I thought) red carpet. You can buy your way onto it. And there’s also not just a single ticket option, or even a single red carpet. You have multiple different days, different timings, different red carpets, some more prestigious than the others. The evening slot is where the real meat is, apparently. So, businessmen and rich industrialists have been paying their way to walk with the stars. And now, so do our very own influencers.

But here’s another interesting detail. Influencers don’t even spend that money themselves. They partner with brands and get those brands to pay for their tickets, in exchange for social media mentions and endless reels. Talk about a bargain!

Where Lies the True Influence?

So, while you and I think that it’s only celebrities who have the pull, the fact is that these influencers are reaching thousands of households directly. They produce relatable content, usually come from humble beginnings, and get to rub shoulders with the big wigs of Hollywood. It’s no surprise, then, that sometimes, their victory feels personal to their fans.

Plus, brands prefer getting influencers on board since they spend hours creating content for the ‘gram. Something that celebrities are wont to do.

And for the influencers, they get to live the dream. The exposure on a global scale is an added benefit. And I’m sure the new followers on Instagram don’t hurt. Nancy Tyagi was nowhere close to a million followers until her Cannes debut. Now, she sits at a pretty 1.7 million followers.

So, to sum up:

• Brands get organic reach
• Influencers get global exposure
• Cannes gets tons of cash

It’s a win-win-win.

Does Everything have a Price Tag?

As a marketer, I should have already known that PR agencies and managers can make everything happen for their clients. I guess on some level I always know to take everything I see or read with a pinch of salt. Everything can be bought, right? Or can it?

I mean, think about it. The influencers only get to buy these tickets (or manage to make a brand pay for them) because someone is willing to sell it to them. Their presence on the red carpet is creating value for a business.

It’s not like I can just go and buy a ticket to the Cannes red carpet. Reaching a stage in life where you have the opportunity to buy your way into the elite circle is, in itself, a huge achievement. Not everyone can do it. Not everyone deserves it. But ever so often, someone like Nancy Tyagi makes it big on a global scale and you can’t help but feel proud of her achievements and feel elated on seeing someone worthwhile live their dream!

Until next time!