The Stealth Marketing Machine Behind Your Social Media Feed
Joe Lim, the former CEO of Floodify, claims that 90% of online content consists of hidden advertising. Floodify maintained 65,000 fake accounts that shared 50,000 videos each day on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and X, promoting music for major record labels and a top-five celebrity. Lim turned down a proposal from Eric Adams' reelection team to produce AI-generated influencer videos targeting Zoran Mamdani. At South by Southwest, Jesse Coren and Andrew Spelman, co-founders of Chaotic Good Projects, talked about employing sock-puppet accounts for "trend simulation," with clients including Brooklyn band Geese. Techniques such as "clipping," which Andrew Tate popularized in 2022, involve creating short video segments. The FTC aims to prohibit undisclosed endorsements by late 2024, though enforcement remains weak.
Key facts
- Joe Lim estimates 90% of internet content is undisclosed advertising.
- Floodify operated 65,000 dummy accounts posting 50,000 videos daily.
- Chaotic Good Projects co-founders described using sock-puppet accounts for 'trend simulation' at SXSW.
- Clipping involves cutting content into short clips posted by normal-looking accounts.
- Clipping agencies pay $1-2 per thousand views on Discord and Whop.
- Justin Bieber's Coachella performance was boosted by paid clipping campaigns.
- FTC adopted a rule in 2024 banning undisclosed endorsements but no enforcement has occurred.
- Gudea tracked a campaign promoting a Nazi symbolism rumor about Taylor Swift's album.
Entities
Artists
- Joe Lim
- Jesse Coren
- Andrew Spelman
- Cameron Winter
- Justin Bieber
- Bad Bunny
- Zayn Malik
- Fleetwood Mac
- Shania Twain
- Luke Combs
- Noah Kahan
- Teyana Taylor
- Teddy Swims
- Dominic Fike
- Kane Brown
- Nicki Minaj
- Andrew Tate
- Nick Fuentes
- Clavicular
- Taylor Swift
- Blake Lively
- Justin Baldoni
- Brad Pitt
- Drake
- Travis Scott
- Rebel Wilson
- Logan Paul
- Johnny Depp
- Sydney Sweeney
- Donald Trump
- Eric Adams
- Zoran Mamdani
- Olivia Rodrigo
- Melissa Nathan
- Ben Klein
- Keith Presley
- Dan Brahmy
- Khrish Kewalramani
- Frank Carone
- William Goldman
Institutions
- Floodify
- Chaotic Good Projects
- Spade Clipping
- Hundred Days
- Gudea
- Cyabra
- TAG PR (The Agency Group)
- Billboard
- Wired
- Paste
- TMZ
- The New York Times
- Vulture
- New York Magazine
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- Justice Department
- NFL
- Coachella
- American Eagle
- Netflix
- Apple TV+
- Kalshi
- Met Gala
- TikTok
- YouTube
- X
- Discord
- Whop
- Truth Social
- Nabisco
- Chips Ahoy!
Locations
- San Francisco
- United States
- New York
- Brooklyn
- South by Southwest
- Coachella
- Super Bowl