From "Chick-fil-A Sauce Girl" to MainlyMannie, the faces of your favorite viral videos are getting a Marc Jacobs makeover.
For its latest social media campaign, the fashion giant is tapping into a genre of celebrity that makes our nightly doom-scrolls a little more bearable: funny people who inadvertently go viral.
On Sunday, the official Marc Jacobs TikTok account posted a video of Gina Lynn — better known as the Chick-fil-A cashier who reacted particularly unsubtly to a recent customer's decision to forgo the chain's signature sauce with her order — at one of the clothier's retail stores.
In the clip, Lynn introduces a customer to Marc Jacobs' bag collection while pulling her signature facial expressions. "I don't work here," Lynn quips after the customer thanks her.
At the time of writing, the video has amassed over 840,000 views — almost as many as Marc Jacobs' collaboration with another beloved meme star: MainlyMannie, best known for parodying corporate life with a character called Boss and CEO.
In a TikTok post from April 3, MainlyMannie becomes the manager of a Marc Jacobs boutique. "I need you to clean the toilets in the back. I'll take over here," she tells one of the employees on the shop floor, later informing others that they "missed some dust" on a shelf display. Of course, she's dressed head-to-toe in the label's wares — most notably, her signature Beverly Hills Polo Club purse has been replaced by a Marc Jacobs Tote Bag.
Other TikTok phenoms Marc Jacobs has recruited: Alex Consani, the model whom Vogue dubbed "the master of Gen Z humor"; Fausto Elizalde (AKA "The Party Ended an Hour Ago and He's Still Here"); and Kovu, a Siberian Husky whose owner dresses him up, William Wegman-style, in human clothes.
We already know Marc Jacobs has a knack for casting — just look at the brand's recent campaign stars, from Kim Kardashian to Ethel Cain to Cindy Sherman. Of course, these names might not be everyone's cup of tea (see: mixed reaction to MJ's Kim K partnership).
Capitalizing on the internet's self-replenishing supply of memes is wise move for any brand — because who doesn't appreciate a good laugh? If we may suggest Marc Jacobs' next muse: the cast of Glasgow's Willy Wonka experience.
