Agency WtrCoolr Is Creating Deceptive “Fan Fiction” to Promote Musicians
Oct 04, 2024
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TikTok may have started as an entertainment platform, but its massive growth has made it a home for deceptive marketing tactics. Recently, digital marketing agency WtrCoolr has drawn backlash from the TikTok community and fans of Shaboozey.
Who Is Shaboozey?
Born Collins Obinna Chibueze, Shaboozey is a country singer who became famous for his song “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which spent six consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. His combination of rap and country genres has become a big hit in the U.S. In addition to creating music, he’s a filmmaker and producer.
WtrCoolr “Fan Fiction” Issue
Recently, the internet discovered that WtrCoolr, a digital agency, had been involved in controversial marketing tactics concerning Shaboozey and other artists, including Young Nudy. Musicians hired the agency to use “fan fiction” to promote their songs and presence on TikTok.
To do this, WtrCoolr uploaded videos containing fan-made information, like the idea that Shaquille O’Neal is a fan of Young Nudy and that Dolly Parton is Shaboozey’s godmother. If you check the former’s video comments, you’ll see that people are unaware that the content is fake.
The videos were uploaded on NudysVault and ShaboozeysVault TikTok pages, but Shaboozey’s pages have since been taken down. WtrCoolr uses artificial intelligence — a set of systems that can perform tasks that usually require human logic and intelligence — to create clips, sometimes amassing millions of views on TikTok.
In a Billboard interview, Ethan Curtis — the founder of PushPlay and WtrCooler — reiterated that they’re “just having fun” creating the campaign.
“We’re just trying to make fun stuff that fans enjoy. Just fun little moments. It’s no different from taking a video out of context and slapping meme headings on it.”
Is TikTok Becoming a Breeding Ground of Disinformation?
Edited digital materials are becoming more difficult to catch on TikTok, which is the fifth most popular social media platform worldwide. Social media manipulation is pervasive — thousands of influencers heavily edit their content to appear picture-perfect, and misleading campaigns continue to spread nonexistent stories in the chase for stardom.
The danger of disinformation — such as fan fiction — is that it affects people’s ability to distinguish truth from fiction. If this persists, the creation of false narratives can damage the trust between artists and their fans. Moreover, it can undermine the credibility of rising artists, making it more challenging for them to gain traction.
Protect Yourself From Misinformation
The WtrCoolr issue is just the tip of the iceberg. With plenty of videos being uploaded on TikTok daily, it’s becoming increasingly more challenging to discern what’s real. Make it a habit to find the original sources to know the true context. If you are curious about something, search for news articles to see what’s written about it. Very often, headlines and captions are misleading, so always do your research.
