It’s been a tough year or so for influencers.
They’ve not been able to post pictures of their meals at restaurants or share images of plane tickets and luxurious hotels.
Now, that’s a tragedy.
Confronted with this change, influencers now have two choices:
- Turn to other sources of revenue
- Break the law
The second option doesn’t seem as appealing or rational as the first, but that’s exactly what 11 influencers did last year.
Group of 13 Attended Marketing Event on Yacht
Last Nov, when 95% of us had no idea what the word “endemic” meant, Lim Tian Yi and his friend, Annie Lin Pei Ju, had planned a marketing event on a yacht.
Lim, 35, was the founder of influencer marketplace Koli, while his co-organiser Lin was a partner of the Anaya Retreat brand.
The event, which fell on 18 Nov, was to promote Anaya Retreat through candle-making, essential oil-making, and casual photo-taking on the yacht.
At the time, the prevailing COVID-19 rules dictated that only social gatherings of up to five people were permitted.
However, the two organisers invited 11 influencers to the event, meaning 13 people were on board.
The 11 influencers were:
- Damian Tan Kar Sheng, 27
- Sean Tan, 29
- Titus Low Kaide, 22
- Walter Soh Yon Zheng, 24
- Nicholas Joel Leong, 26
- Kuek Zi Yi, 32
- Audrey Chen Ying Fang, 29
- Chai Ann Gie, 28
- Nicole Chen Lin, 34
- Monica Tang Yifei, 34
- Wang Zhiruo, 24
Split Into Two Groups
The group of 11 turned up at the yacht to meet Lim and Lin at about 3pm that day.
Onboard the vessel, they were split into two groups based on gender.
The men were on the upper deck taking photos, while the women were on the lower deck making candles and essential oils.
It might sound like they were practising safe distancing, since they were separated, but the female group had six people gathered together.
What’s more, the 11 influencers boarded the yacht as a group, and one of the influencers, Nicole Chen, moved between the two decks throughout the event when the groups swapped their locations and activities.
None of them wore masks during their activities, nor was there any safe distancing. And at the end of the event, 12 of them got together to take a photo.
Why? Just… why?
Lim had later shared photos of the event on his Facebook page.
Big mistake.
A netizen lodged a complaint and the authorities investigated the incident.
Organiser Pays the Price (Literally)
In the end, it was the co-organiser Lim who was dealt the heaviest blow, as he was fined $7,000 after pleading guilty to one charge of breaching a COVID-19 control order.
Two other charges for failing to wear a face mask and gathering with 12 others on the yacht were taken into consideration.
As for the influencers, Lim said they had been fined $300 each, and that he had helped pay the fines for some of them.
The judge explained that while they all erred, the responsibility fell upon the organisers to ensure that attendees adhere to COVID-19 rules.
As for Lin – Lim’s co-organiser – her case is still pending.
Celebrities Punished For Birthday Bash
Earlier this year, actor Terence Cao had been fined S$3,500 for hosting 12 guests for a birthday party last October.
Guests included Sonia Chew, Shane Pow, and Jeffrey Xu, who shared an image of the party online.
Cao’s guests were reportedly fined $300 each for breaching COVID-19 regulations, as only gatherings of up to five people were permitted.
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Featured Image: Instagram
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