Choo Choo(se) TikTok

Choo Choo(se) TikTok

If you haven’t heard of Franics Bourgeois, it is probably because you are not on TikTok. Bourgeois is a trainspotter (no, he is not joining Ewan McGregor in the depths of a toilet) - an actual train fanatic.

At the beginning of the pandemic that shall not be named, Bourgeois started to create TikTok videos focussing on his trainspotting career. Over time becoming notorious for his trademark of recording his own face, via a GoPro attached to his head, so that we can all enjoy his excitement while a train flies by.

A combination of his innocence, excitement and the debate about whether he could possibly be genuine has skyrocketed him into the influencer universe. With 2.1 million followers, he has not quite joined the TikTok Avengers such as Charli D’Amelio (133.5m), Khabane Lame (128.5m), Bella Porch (87.5m) and Addison Rae (86.2m) but he has caught the attention of many brands and celebrities.

Most recently evidenced by a collaboration of note with Gucci x The North Face and their latest drop (a collection of outerwear including bucket hats, jumpers and of course, the unmissable classic that is The North Face jacket) that has taken Gen-Z by storm.

Ahh, there’s the buzzword.

BG (Before Gucci), this jacket sold out as soon as Kendall Jenner was spotted with one on, resulting in it having Gen-Z in a chokehold (yes, yes I did try and buy one on Depop, and yes I am ashamed of myself). In that context, Gucci and The North Face might be forgiven for wondering what better way to reach this audience than to pick a creator like Bourgeois who is growing fast, has genuine fans that care about him and doesn’t appear to have a negative bone in his body?

Brand, Tik Tok and Influencers

Brand + TikTok’er = Gen-Z…right…RIGHT?!

And yet, Bourgeois is not someone I would expect to be wearing Gucci x The North Face, so does that mean they are riding on his influencer high, his coat tails if you will? Do influencers need to have some form of link to a brand or do they just need to be relevant to the target audience?

I’m a sucker for influencer marketing, and it works on me when I believe the person is passionate about the campaign they are part of, so for me, I believe (as our wider social team do) that the sweet spot is both.

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