OG Influencers Miss Coachella After Claims They Were Kicked off of Brand Trip They Pitched

Bieberchella has already found its way into every corner of the internet. Once-in-a-lifetime performances from Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G have gone down in history as the worst Coachella to miss.

For two long-standing creators, however, that FOMO became a reality.

Lucy and Lydia, influencers and videographers who have spent over a decade building their online presence, shared a tell-all video detailing how they missed out on the festival after allegedly being removed from a brand trip they originally pitched.

Why did Lucy and Lydia miss Coachella?

In their 16-minute video, the pair claim they approached one of their favourite brands with a fully developed concept for a Coachella trip.

The plan was extremely detailed and included four other creators to bring, a full content plan and budget breakdown. They had ideas of creating content themed around each headliner that day, including Sabrina Carpenter-themed outfits, dances and interviews, all designed to align with the brand’s values.

They say the proposal was initially approved, and even expanded to include eight creators. But as the festival approached, travel arrangements had yet to be confirmed.

After following up, Lucy and Lydia claim they were told the trip had been cancelled due to budget constraints. While disappointed, they acknowledged that last-minute budget changes are not uncommon in brand partnerships.

However, the situation escalated.

The girls read out an alleged email from the brand thanking them for the time they put in a few weeks before the event, but confirming the budget wouldn’t cover their trip. However, the brand would still be planning to go to the festival with some talent.

The pair allege that, despite being told their trip was no longer going ahead, the brand still attended Coachella with talent, including creators they had originally suggested, producing content that closely mirrored their pitch.

They described the experience as “gutting”, claiming their concept had been executed without their involvement.

“It’s absolutely gutting to see that this brand has taken our trip concept, and not only taken us off it, but also they’re still doing it when they said that they weren’t,” claimed the girls.

Why pitching is still a huge grey area for creators

As Lucy and Lydia state in their video, pitching is part of the job for creators and freelancers. However, putting together thoughtful and creative pitches takes a long time; time they aren’t compensated for.

Developing campaign ideas, content strategies and creative concepts can take hours, if not days. Yet there are few protections in place when those ideas are shared with brands.

“I think now more than ever, we need to be talking about what is happening behind the scenes in the industry, not just for creators watching. But also for the amazing creators and freelancers out there who are constantly pitching and putting yourself forwards to these brands, for them to then steal your ideas basically. This should not be happening.”

It poses major questions about creator pitching. It’s clear there needs to be a better, more time-efficient system for creators to pitch their ideas to brands.

And without hearing from brands, it’s difficult to know what that could look like in an ideal world. 

Until clearer standards are introduced, whether it’s through contracts, pitch fees, or stricter usage agreements, situations like this risk becoming a regular feature in the influencer industry.