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Fashion Hauling: The Latest Internet Video Craze
Submitted by Macala Wright on 06/09/2010 – 1:30 PM8 Comments
During our panel at FGILA a few weeks ago, we discussed a new concept running rampant among women under the age of 25 – Fashion Hauling Videos.
Since early May, hauling videos have gained online momentum, so much so that even the mommy bloggers are jumping on the band wagon.
In haul videos, women open up their bedrooms, closets, and medicine cabinets and show off their their latest “finds” to thousands of anonymous viewers on YouTube. In regards to fashion brands, most hauling videos feature consumers obsessed with Juicy Couture, Forever 21, H&M, Charlotte Rousse, Target and Marshalls Department Stores.
Critics of haul videos say the subjects promote a financially wasteful and superficial pastime that distracts young women from more important pursuits. Haul fans counter that it’s a harmless way for women to enjoy their shopping passion with other virtual girlfriends, and that the lemming for new things benefits the economy in the end (Stylelist).
From a brand standpoint, fashion companies that fit into the low level to mid-tier retail demographic are flocking to haulers to create videos. Some work with them, some don’t.
I’m with the critics; haul videos promote a financially wasteful consumer spending behavior and continue to promote fast fashion. I’m just not a fan.
From three hours of watching hauls, here are three videos that I believe to be the best, while representing the worst of all hauling videos on YouTube.
#1: Forever 21, Good Morning America
Stylelist.com and Good Morning America feed the never ending quest for 15 seconds of microfame. Can you said “Like OMG” more than 25 times in a video? Apparently, the answer is yes! Why are we promoting low-budget clothing along with that Paris Hilton, glam girl personality? Do success and intelligence just not sell on the Internet?
#2: Fashion Hauling at Marshalls
Hauling is bad enough for girls under 25, but taking it to the mommy level is wrong. This is not flattering for someone with and established, business brand online. This just makes you look desperate for attention. What’s worse, your kids in the background are horrible. They are distracting and turn me and most viewers off to the thought of having children.
#3: Forever 21 Haul + Spring 2010 Clothes Haul
This is the worst hauling video on YouTube. We promise! But it’s also the funniest, and she’s so cute that we died laughing. But we still couldn’t watch the whole video. It was just too painful.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Macala Wright Lee, Amalia Agathou, Fashion Marketing, chinchillakwak, Global Media and others. Global Media said: RT @fashmarketing: Fashion Hauling: The Latest Internet Video Craze http://bit.ly/agEGV0 – haul videos promote a financially wasteful co … [...]
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[...] components work together and what the goals are. The only thing we’re not thrilled about, the haul videos. We’re watching this [...]
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[...] Months ago, I’d never heard of haul videos, but Mitch Joel and Julien told me about them. Essentially, people (most often teen and 20s-ish girls) go buy things and then shoot YouTube videos showing off their purchases (example, example). It’s really lighting up the memes space on the web. [...]
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Love love love. I agree with everything you are saying, and totally feel the pain of watching 3 hours worth of haul videos. Thanks for this article, it's great!
The girl in the first video dropped out of highschool because she was making $80,000 in ad revenue.
What? Are you serious! What happens after the internet fame wears off?
Did you see Natasha's comment about her dropping out of high school because she's making 80K in ad revenue? Leaves me to wonder about the intelligence of internet culture.
Shut the front door! Smooth move. Well it's gonna hurt real bad when her 15 minutes of fame have worn off and a new craze has hit she's not a part of.
Hauling is something to watch….who knows where it goes from here. One thing is for sure..some of the hauls we find online are just embarrassing attempts at making that $80k paycheck. Me thinks it might be best to keep it real and give everyone some meaningful feedback; there's a lot of garbage hauls out there…
Acutally, we hope and hauling will die. Hauling videos promote needless consumption of things we don't need. No one should give up getting a quality education and think they could live off of affiliate and video ad dollars. Hauling will fade.
I like them for the research potential. It takes vision to see the benefits in new ways of doing things. And what our nation needs now more then ever aren't more Obama bailout schemes.. we need vision and we need the government to get out of the way!
If no one spends money there IS no economy!