As a proud 31-year-old Millennial who stays off social media for most of the day, I am shocked (and sort of dismayed) to say that I have been influenced by many things over the years, but most recently: press-on nails. Yes, I realize as a marketer and PR professional, I need to be on social and stay current with the trends. But I can do my job without doomscrolling. So, who influenced me to try press-ons? The cast members of Love Island USA.
Millennial trust in influencers
Statistically, 50% of millennials trust influencers as opposed to 38% trust brands. And because we have experienced our own share of financial hardships, we like brands to be reliable… and affordable. Gen Z is actually pretty similar, only with slightly higher percentages of influencer trust and social media consumption (source: Statista 2024).
The power of reality TV
It’s no secret that people get on reality TV for the brand deals. They often become instant stars on social media if they weren’t already. They become trusted influencers. It’s no different than the cast of Love Island USA – viewers are watching them every night and “shopping their outfits” through Peacock, listening to the Love Island USA playlist on Spotify (guilty) and following the cast members on Instagram before they even leave the villa. They’re instant influencers, and they often don’t even know it yet.
What’s all this got to do with press-on nails?
While watching the show, I wondered how the women had their nails done when they were stuck on an island in Fiji. I figured it out through context clues (with a little help from Google), and boom. Influenced. I had no idea that press-on nails had made their comeback in 2020 during COVID, but I was sure to find out with all the sponsored ads on Instagram I was beginning to see. Because I looked it up on Google, of course. People were choosing press-ons instead of the salon due to the cost factor and claims that they were “healthier for your nails.”
Lessons learned
Well, I’m here to tell you… They’re a total hassle and, in fact, not healthier for your nails. The influencers tell you that, and so do the brands. But, this experience is a great way to provide evidence that sometimes we trust people before we trust brands. I trusted that the Love Island ladies wouldn’t wear anything that wasn’t trendy or looked good.
So, press-on nails didn’t work out for me, but I’m also not convinced it wasn’t user error. Somehow none of the 16 nail sizes were MY size? And what’s the true “glue to nail” ratio??? Anyway, I digress. I suppose I’ll never know.
