Someone started selling pillows seductively advertised by Singaporean influencers in lingerie and the public just couldn’t even – and now the women involved can’t seem to agree on what it was all about.
Different explanations have been offered for why 24 pillows; each cradled, cuddled and held intimately by an influencer in bed; went on sale at a site called The Sleeping Beauties, which blew up over the weekend. The site, where pillows started at S$20, has since been shut down.
Avander Ho, model of the most expensive one at S$200, said last night that the whole thing was a promotional gimmick after it came in for a public backlash that bordered on misogynistic.
“I was contacted by this media company about doing a social experiment if people would buy pre-loved pillow. In the 10 day experiment that the website got up, I got loads of backlash from the general public and even unwanted attention from other media companies,” Ho wrote yesterday.
She went on to say that it was all part of a media campaign that will culminate in a video next month.
“[T]he media company said that we signed up for this we should be prepared for the backlash and we were all told to not say anything until the video is up which is only in mid Jan next year,” she wrote. “So must I suffer in silence for the next 3 weeks while the media drag our name in mud?”
She did not identify the company.
Still others involved gave a different explanation.
Kimberley Yong and another model who goes by the name Aiwen (their pillows were S$100 and S$95, respectively) said yesterday that the whole thing was the influencers’ “fun concept,” with proceeds going to charity.
“I just want to clarify that the pillows sold are new! Part of the proceeds I earn from the sales of the pillow will go to charity,” Yong wrote.
“NEW PILLOWS! In this Holiday Spirit of Giving[,] 100% proceeds go to me then to the charity of choice,” Aiwen wrote.
The website that was up for 10 days marketed pre-loved – or we should say pre-hugged – pillows from 24 girls, most of whom have thousands of Instagram followers. The youngest was 19. It was not disclosed how the prices were devised. Messages sent to The Sleeping Beauties and Ho had not been responded to as of publication time since yesterday.
Many critics said the marketing strategy was geared toward perverts and mocked the girls, calling them “attention seekers” and “disgusting.”
“The pillow will be filled with stinky saliva and sweat. So disgusting. Whoever who buys this type of pillow is likely to be a pervert or psycho. Just be careful that the person doesn’t end up stalking the gal after that,” Cassowary Noh said on Sunday.
“Should be aptly named as desperadoes instead of influencers,” Ivan Marshall said yesterday.
Ho said anyone who thought they’d get a pillow they had spent the night with would have been disappointed. She said her pillow was sent by the unidentified media company, which said buyers would get brand new Ikea pillows.
“I would like to say no I’m not selling my pre-loved pillow. The pillow that I took picture of was brand new, delivered to me by them. No pre-loved pillow is being sold. The media company that contacted me said that even if there are buyers out there, the pillow sent to them will be completely new (from Ikea) not used by any of the influencers,” she wrote.
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