What the SAG-AFTRA strike means for influencers

With the SAG-AFTRA strike in full swing, union members have stopped doing content promo of any kind for major studios and streamers, as exemplified by the Oppenheimer cast walking out of the film’s UK premiere last week.

In lieu of movie stars, Disney relied on people dressed as fictional characters from its movies and influencers to fill the red carpet for its Haunted Mansion premiere on Saturday, sparking a discussion online about what constitutes crossing the picket line and who it applies to.

On Monday, SAG-AFTRA released an FAQ that outlines what influencers should and shouldn’t do during the strike. According to the website, if an influencer is not part of SAG-AFTRA but “performs covered work or services for a struck company during the strike,” they will not be eligible for future membership in the union. (In 2021, SAG-AFTRA started letting influencers join.)

Some of the guidelines include:

• No promoting screenings or content produced by struck companies (aka members of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, like Disney, Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon).
• No participating in conventions like Comic-Con on behalf of or in promotion of struck companies, including “appearances, panels, fan meet and greets, etc. involving struck work.”
• Influencers “should refrain” from posting organic or unpaid  content “about any struck work,” even if just as a fan. (Probably not a great time to post your latest Barbie collab purchase.)

While influencers can still work with brands, the union said “circumstances may vary” regarding cross-promotional brand deals involving a struck employer. It advised influencers to reach out to SAG-AFTRA for “proper assessment” in these cases.

SAG-AFTRA clarified that existing contractual obligations with struck companies may be fulfilled, but new contracts with those companies should not be accepted. Influencer Jasmine Paige Moore, who attended the Haunted Mansion premiere, wrote on Instagram that this was one of the last premieres she would be attending.

“I am in full support of my fellow actors and writers during this time and was asked to attend the Haunted Mansion Premiere before the SAG strike was struck and, as advised by SAG, I plan to fulfill all contractual obligations and not take any additional work from struck companies,” she wrote.