ALBAWABA – Oil companies pay influences on Instagram and TikTok to promote fossil fuels and advance industry reputation among the younger demographics on social media, an Agence France-Presse (AFP) report unveiled today, Wednesday.
Young online celebrities, otherwise known for their gaming videos and pet posts, are also dropping unexpected plugs for gasoline stations, fuel rewards and club cards, as reported by AFP.
Some of those influencers have millions of followers across India, Mexico, South Africa, the United States and beyond, according to the report.
AFP cited multiple cases in which big oil firms such as BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell and TotalEnergies have paid influencers on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Twitch.
"Come with me to get some snacks at my family Shell gas station," says one TikTok influencer, dubbed The Petrol Princess, who usually models wigs for her 2.7 million followers.
Chevron is reportedly one of the oil companies pay influencers on Instagram and TikTok for ads - Shutterstock
Her content, notably, is tagged as a “paid partnership”, according to AFP.
DeSmog, a news site reporting on climate disinformation, in a separate investigation, said it found more than 100 influencers who had promoted oil and gas companies at least once.
Oil companies pay influencers on Instagram and TikTok to build up social capital
AFP’s analysts say companies are targeting younger demographics via social media to reconsolidate their market shares and shore up their businesses as countries seek cleaner alternatives. Not to mention the rising wave of anti-fossil fuel and environmental activists around the world.
"Many young people are well aware of the urgency of the climate crisis and take a dim view of fossil fuel companies," which are now seeking to "build up social capital" with such audiences, Melissa Aronczyk, a professor of communication and information at Rutgers University, told AFP.
Meanwhile, some sponsored posts have received a mixed welcome.
One gamer, who has 178,000 followers for her @chica account on Instagram, drew sighs of dismay with a recent post showcasing a new Shell-sponsored feature in the video game Fortnite.
Shell is one of the oil companies pay influencers on Instagram and TikTok for ads - Shutterstock
"I understand you have to make money but advertising a fossil fuel company in 2023 ain't the way," one of her followers wrote in a comment, according to AFP.
One pregnant mother influencer and another wedding-themed influencer reportedly shared sponsored content showing them at gas stations using the ExxonMobil rewards programme.
"ExxonMobil, like many companies, works with influencers to educate consumers about the full benefits of our fuel rewards program," company media relations spokesperson Lauren Kight told AFP in an email.
Likewise, according to an unnamed corporate spokesperson, Shell also used advertising and social media to promote its low-carbon products.
Notably, AFP only found a handful of Instagram posts promoting Shell’s electric car-charging application.
Instagram and TikTok demand users label branded content when they have been paid or received gifts from the company, along with restrictions on advertising dangerous products. They do not list fossil fuels among these.
