Pixelz Newsletter

TikTok Drama, ‘Old School’ Content, and the Reignited Convo Around AI Images

Hi there 👋

The day has come when two of my worlds—TikTok drama and product images—collide. Buckle up; this is going to be fun. 😎

If you’re not as chronically online as I am, let me introduce you to Pajamadrama or PajamaGate. The story begins with two influencers launching a holiday pajama line called 4 The Mems (short for "For the Memories"—let’s reserve judgment on that name). The drama? A women’s pajama set was initially priced at $95, which, after backlash, dropped to $75.

But the price was only the beginning. TikTok’s takedown culture went into overdrive, critiquing everything from the fabric choice (rayon) to the lack of a sizing chart, questionable product descriptions (“long but not too long”), and—my favorite—the product images. The pajamas were wrinkled in the flat-lay photos, and the supposed "matching" family sets didn’t even color match.

Watching the commentary unfold, I found myself thinking, "They care! They really do care!" Could this be proof that consumers value quality product images? Or was it simply a perfect storm of price, brand, and authenticity—or lack thereof?

Here’s where it gets interesting. While brands like Shein and Temu consistently prove that consumers will overlook bad product imagery if the price is low enough, 4 The Mems didn't have that luxury. The higher price point demanded a level of trust—or at least brand awareness—that they couldn’t deliver. And while these influencers already are a brand, they seemed to forget that. Instead of leaning into the aspirational yet authentic content that built their following, they veered into “traditional” e-commerce territory with lackluster results. They even used a common tactic with influencer brands, using themselves as models but without the personality or life that their content carries. I couldn’t help but shamefully think: ha! Our industry and expertise cannot be replaced!

As Ethan Berger said during our E-commerce Visual Trend Webinar, the trend is moving away from overly polished, sterile imagery. Consumers now crave lifestyle-driven visuals—like a cozy sweatshirt casually tossed on a bed with natural light. But 4 The Mems missed the mark entirely. They aimed for professional product shots but failed on both fronts of being authentic or professional.

At the end of the day, this TikTok drama restored my faith in consumers' need for us as an industry. They do care about details—about fabric, color matching, and a polished PDP—but only when the price asks them to. And for brands (or influencers-turned-brands), it’s a reminder that authenticity isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a strategy.

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Pixelz Pulse

  • We hosted a webinar to discuss E-commerce Visual Trends in 2025 last month with Ehtan Berger and Morgan Williams. And there’s one trend that seemed to stand out and had us all talking about it. Find out all about it by watching the recording.
  • Ready to join the conversation in person? FLOW: North America has opened for registrations. Workshops and keynote sessions will center around the theme of "Standing Out From The Crowd" and how brands can differentiate themselves and create unique customer experiences through visuals. Register for a seat here.
  • Tracey Woods was the latest guest to chat with us on the FLOW Show podcast. Hear about her amazing career and her advice on handling feedback, finding your unique voice, and building your portfolio.
  • Don’t miss out on what’s been happening at Pixelz in 2024! We are recapping all the product offerings and updates we’ve made around here in one blog post - just in case you missed it.

Hot Links

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  • I’ll openly admit it - the Volvo ad made me cry. It also made me realize I miss the storytelling we get in long-form content, even if it’s an ad. Here’s hoping we see more beautiful long-form storytelling from more brands.