GameStop surprised its followers this week with a cheeky jab at its familiar social media rival, Best Buy. The gaming retailer posted a new commercial on X on Wednesday, Dec. 10, featuring TikTok influencer Rilie Huntley (@okaygnomie), better known online as the “Best Buy Girl.”
The 28-second clip showed Huntley walking viewers through GameStop’s trade-in program, which offered cash or store credit for consoles, games, and accessories.
The post quickly gained traction, since GameStop framed the spot with a taunt. “We stole your girl @BestBuy.”
Who is the Best Buy Girl?
Huntley’s appearance immediately stirred interest, as audiences recognized her from TikTok. She built a following with short videos about working at Best Buy, which eventually led to her starring in some of the company’s official ads.
In July 2024, she announced that she had left her job with a simple update to her followers, saying, “This is my announcement that I quit, by the way.” She currently has 719.4K followers on TikTok.
@okaygnomie This is my announcement that I quit by the way :D #fyp #foryoupage #foryou #retail #bestbuy ♬ Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now (2011 Remaster) – The Smiths
Huntley first gained traction with her upbeat videos about Best Buy’s electronics aisles before shifting to filming official promotional videos for the brand. Her appearance in GameStop’s new commercial felt like a full-circle moment for people who watched her online rise.
Best Buy and GameStop have long had a competitive relationship, especially around video game pricing and sales. Because of that history, GameStop’s teasing tone was clearly viewed as an intentional jab by viewers.
Reactions to GameStop’s ad
People were quick to react to the appearance of Best Buy Girl in a GameStop ad. @HighDefDiscNews joked, “Best Buy has a girl? It’s not surprising she broke up with them. #PhysicalMedia fans did long ago.” Meanwhile, @MeleeGames added, “GameStop knows exactly what they’re doing bringing the Best Buy girl back.”
Some commenters took a different angle. For instance, @evilclothmother wrote, “it is super cool and awesome how gaming companies are being super weird about women now,” pushing back on the idea of presenting a female employee as a prize to be taken. Additionally, Redditor u/Dr_Leinhart chimed in with humor, saying, “I’m dying 🤣 GameStop ain’t messing around. 🤣🤣”
@isolatedmargin added, “goth e-girl marketing is the most effective marketing.”
@JBLQuantum joked, “Born too late to explore the world, Born too early to explore the universe, Born just in time to see Best Buy vs Gamestop fight over the best employee, Rilie.”
Others focused on production details. @NerdOrDieCom remarked, “Steal their mic and camera next though,” referencing the video’s quality. Then on TikTok, one viewer asked Huntley directly, “So do we call you GameStop girl now 😂😂”
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