A woman is upset with L’Oréal after she says the brand took an idea from one of her TikTok videos and created an entire campaign around it. To make matters worse, she says the company didn’t include or compensate her for her idea.
TikTok user Liberty Walker (@libertyavawalker) posted a video sharing the experience on Aug. 20. “L’Oréal stole my content and made a whole campaign using my idea,” she says to start. “It’s not very demure of L’Oreal. Not very mindful of L’Oreal. So let’s talk about it because they will not reply to my emails.”
Walker says she posted another video in January showing her followers the results she got after using her boyfriend’s L’Oreal Men Expert Hydra Energetic Wake-Up Effect Body Wash. “I’m in a video using my boyfriend’s face wash, and it was by L’Oréal, and it made my skin really cute and shiny, and I shared it with you guys,” she says. “And thank you, 4 million of you guys really liked the video, and that was very happy.”
What happened after Walker posted the video?
She says her happiness turned into disappointment a few weeks later, however, when she saw a L’Oréal campaign with a similar theme on TikTok advertising the face wash.
“There’s a whole campaign literally taking my idea. One of the creators had actually downloaded my TikTok video and put it in their video, and I hadn’t even been credited,” Walker says.
In an effort to resolve the situation, Walker says she reached out to L’Oréal via email and was told they’d get back to her. “Nothing,” she says. “They silenced me. And I’m not happy about it because too many creators put hard work into their videos, and they get nothing. And they get their videos stolen. So, not happy about that, guys. Not happy. Justice.”
@libertyavawalker Do better @L’Oréal Paris #fyp ♬ original sound – Libertyavawalker
Viewers say this happens frequently
The video has amassed more than 3.4 million views. In the comments section, viewers offered sympathy and shared similar experiences with brands on social media.
One viewer wrote, “That’s unbelievable… I’m so sorry this happened to you.”
A second viewer said this is why they put all agreements in writing before creating brand content. “This is why when brands reach out to me and ask for what I will create I respond with give me my contract first and then we will plan,” they wrote.
Former influencer Geo James (@geoellenjames) also chimed in. “I’m so sorry this happened to you! I used to be the influencer + social media manager for Loreal Paris skincare (7Y ago). It actually may be less insidious than you think but hopefully they resolve it,” he wrote.
Earlier this year, a TikTok user called out Ninja Kitchen for reaching out to discuss her content but not coming to a formal brand agreement with her—in her opinion, because she’s a Black creator. After a dialogue with the Ninja marketing team, the two parties resolved the situation, and the creator became a Ninja partner.
The Daily Dot reached out to Walker and L’Oréal via email for comment.
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