The Statement
A post on Instagram headlined “Ripcurl Model Application” is attracting a lot of shares and comments with an apparent call for “Models aged 11-21” to represent surfwear brand Rip Curl.
The Instagram post from December 29, 2019, states: “We Are Looking For Models Aged 11 – 21 To Represent Ripcurl In Displaying Our New Season Of Clothing And Footwear For 2020!”.
The post says that “to apply” Instagram users need to “Follow Our Page @ripcurl_models” and “Share The Post To Your Story.”
The post goes on to claim successful applicants will be chosen by a “Board Of Modelling Directors,” with successful applicants to receive “The Opportunity To Become A Model at Ripcurl” as well as various products, gift cards and store discounts.
The post has been viewed more than 65,000 times and received more than 3700 likes.
The Analysis
Rip Curl is an Australian founded surfing brand company and was sold to Kathmandu for $A350 million in 2019. The company’s name is written as two words, not “Ripcurl” as appears throughout the Instagram post.
Rip Curl’s Australian Instagram account also shows the name as two words.
The “ripcurl_models” Instagram account made its first post on December 21, 2019, with the image of the official Rip Curl logo and no caption. The post for the supposed model call out was posted on December, 29, 2019.
Rip Curl Media and Communications Manager, Mimi LaMontagne, told AAP FactCheck that the “@ripcurl_models” Instagram account and its call for models are not genuine.
Ms LaMontagne said the company does not conduct model searches on Instagram or any other social media platform and the Rip Curl Group “is in no way associated with the Instagram account“.
A series of other Instagram accounts impersonating major brands and following a similar recruitment drive strategy have popped up on the social media platform in the past. Men’s fashion website HYPEBEAST reported a similar fake Nike account using the same recruitment tactic. While the Daily Mail documented evidence of people falling for a similar fake campaign by an account purporting to be from Lululemon the same year.
The Verdict
Based on the evidence, AAP Factcheck found the Facebook post to be false. The “@ripcurl_models” account is not associated with surfwear brand Rip Curl and the surfwear company has confirmed it does not conduct model searches on Instagram.
False – The primary claims of the content are factually inaccurate.
* AAP FactCheck is accredited by the Poynter Institute’s International Fact-Checking Network, which promotes best practice through a stringent and transparent Code of Principles. https://factcheck.aap.com.au/
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