Italy’s top influencer apologises over misleading Christmas cake ‘charity’ sale
One of Italy’s best-known influencers has been accused of shedding “crocodile tears” after it emerged proceeds from a Christmas cake sale she promoted were not given to sick children.
Chiara Ferragni, who is ubiquitous in Italian media and married to popular rapper Fedez, was fined last week by Italy’s anti-trust authority for her involvement in a festive advertising campaign.
The advertisement last year falsely claimed that proceeds from the sale of ‘pandoro’ Christmas cakes would be donated to a children’s hospital in Turin.
Companies controlled by Ms Ferragni, a prominent model whose social media accounts are avidly followed by millions of Italians, were fined more than €1 million.
Balocco, the company that made the “designer” Christmas cakes, was fined €420,000 (£362,000). It had made a relatively modest donation of €50,000 to the hospital, but months before the promotional campaign was launched.
No donations were made from the proceeds of the ‘Pandoro Pink Christmas’ cakes that were sold last Christmas.
The cakes cost around €9 (£7.77) each, compared with about half of that amount for a supermarket brand.
Ms Ferragni’s companies made more than €1 million (over £860,000) from the promotional offer, the authority said.
Ms Ferragni, 36, took to Instagram to issue a tearful apology for what she claimed was an error in how the promotion had been communicated.
Social media platforms were flooded with comments that were critical of her involvement in the misleading promotion.
She pledged to donate €1 million of her own money to the Regina Margherita children’s hospital in Turin.
“I have always been convinced that those who are more fortunate have a moral responsibility to do good,” the businesswoman said in a video posted on her Instagram account.
“This is what we teach our children. We also teach them that one can make mistakes, and that when that happens, one must admit it, and, if possible, remedy the mistake.”
“That is what I want to do now - apologise and make a concrete gesture.”
Meloni snub
Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister, referenced the affair on Sunday on the final day of a four-day political convention organised by her Brothers of Italy party in Rome. “The real models to follow are not the influencers who make a lot of money by wearing clothes - or even promoting expensive cakes that make people believe they are charitable,” she said.
“The real model to follow is of those who invent, design and produce excellent Italian products and compete on the global market because we are the best.”
Ms Ferragni said she would appeal against the competition authority’s ruling and said that if her fine was reduced, she would give the difference to charity.
That offer was criticised by Italy’s national consumer association, Codacons, which accused her of shedding “crocodile tears”.
The consumer association said it was not appropriate to “offer promises of donations aimed at obtaining a reduction of the fines.”
