Chiara Ferragni was fined last week by Italy's competition authority. Photo: SARAH MAISONNIER
One of Italy's most famous influencers has been accused of shedding “crocodile tears” after it emerged that proceeds from a Christmas cake sale she was promoting were not donated to sick children.
< p>Chiara Ferragni, who is ubiquitous in the Italian media and married to popular rapper Fedez, was fined last week by Italy's competition authority for her role in a holiday advertising campaign.
Last year's advert falsely claimed that revenues from the sale of Christmas Pandoro cakes will be donated to the children's hospital in Turin.
Influencer falsely claimed that proceeds from sales of Pandoro Christmas cakes would be donated to a children's hospital Companies controlled by Ms Ferragni, a famous model whose social media accounts are avidly followed by millions of Italians, have been fined more than £1 million euros.
Balocco, a company that produced “designer” Christmas cakes, was fined €420,000 (£362,000). The company made a relatively modest donation of 50,000 euros to the hospital, but several months before the launch of the advertising campaign.
No donations were made from proceeds from the Pink Christmas Pandoro cakes sold last Christmas.
Ports cost around €9 (£7.77) each, compared with half that for a branded supermarket.
Ms Ferragni's companies earned more than €1 million (over £860,000) from the promotional offer.
Ms Ferragni is omnipresent in the Italian media and is married to the famous rapper Fedez. Photo: Dario Raimondi/SplashNews.com
Ferragni, 36, wrote a tearful apology on Instagram for what she said was a mistake in reporting the promotion. .
Social media was flooded with comments criticizing her participation in the misleading promotion.
She pledged to donate 1 million euros of her own money to the Regina Margherita Children's Hospital in Turin.“I have always been convinced that those who are more fortunate have a moral responsibility to do good,” – businesswoman. — said in a video posted on her Instagram account.
“This is what we teach our children. We also teach them that mistakes can be made, and that if this happens, you need to admit it and, if possible, correct the mistake.”
“That's what I want to do now – apologize and make a concrete gesture “.
Melonie neglects
Georgia Meloni, the prime minister, mentioned the case on Sunday, the final day of the four-day political convention. organized by her Brothers of Italy party in Rome. “The real models to emulate are not the influencers who make a lot of money by wearing clothes, or even promoting expensive cakes that make people believe they are doing charity,” she said.
“The real model to follow are those who invent, design and produce excellent Italian products and compete in the global market because we are the best.”
Ms. Ferragni said she would appeal the competition authority's decision and said that if her fine was reduced she would donate the difference to charity.
The proposal was criticized by Italy's national consumer association Codacons, which accused it of that she sheds “crocodile tears.” “.
The Consumer Association said it was inappropriate to “promise donations aimed at reducing fines.”
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