Brands Beg Influencers to Hide #Ad Like a Bad Blind Date Secret
KEY POINTS
- â˘Utahâs wellness influencer Sharon Johnson was asked by a supplement company not to disclose their paid partnership on Instagram.
- â˘SheSpeaks surveyed 365 creators, revealing 18% admitted brands requested no disclosure, and 14% sometimes omitted #ad labels themselves.
- â˘Despite FTC rules for clear advertising, many brands and influencers prioritize engagement over transparency, even leading to lost six-figure deals.
In the gladiator arena of influencer marketing, brands and creators face off in a battle of disclosure dodgeball. Sharon Johnson, a "Reformed Tradwife" wellness influencer from Utah, reported a supplement brand asked her to pretend the magical bottle of vitamins arrived by sheer luck, no #ad involved. This shady request isn't a one-off â a SheSpeaks survey of 365 creators found 18% were pressured to keep mum about paid partnerships, up from a laughably obedient 2% a decade ago. The FTC nags influencers to use clear #ad tags, but brands dreaming 'organic' posts think honesty ruins the buzz. Agencies admit they push back, yet some six-figure contracts walk out the door faster than you can say 'disclosure.' Amid tech juggernauts like YouTube, TikTok, and Meta rolling out ad-sniffing bots, the Wild West of influencer marketing rolls on, with creators juggling trust, speed, and mysterious brand âguidelines.â Honestly, itâs like watching desperate actors forgetting their lines in a very public play called 'Whoâs Paying for This, Anyway?'
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(1 of 3)Watching brands beg influencers to hide #ad disclosures is like a kid asking for candy after already getting caught ignoring vegetablesâdesperate, ineffective, and peak corporate cringe.
Brands whisper to influencers âdonât mention the moneyâ like itâs a dinner party secret but it's more like a forfeited reality check.
The FTC wants shiny, clear #ads, but brands prefer cryptic invisibility cloaksâbecause honesty is apparently bad optics now.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 9/9/2026 | Author: Lucia Moses,Lara O'Reilly
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