A designer who goes by Artist Colette on TikTok shared a video detailing a negative experience with a major brand. She alleged the brand initially reached out to collaborate on a custom hair claw design, engaged in detailed conversations, and then proceeded to ghost her team. According to the video, the brand later launched its campaign without her involvement.
In the video, which appears to be filmed in a retail setting, the designer expressed her frustration and disappointment. She stated she felt “betrayed” and “devastated” by the experience. The on-screen text for the video read, “breaking my silence.”
The designer said she decided to speak out because she is “tired of being silent about stuff like this.” She announced a promotion of her own in response, offering a free mystery hair claw with every purchase for the weekend.
The designer detailed the communication process with the brand
The designer explained in the video that the brand’s marketing team reached out to her for a custom hair claw design for an upcoming campaign. She described a process that included multiple calls and email exchanges. She said the brand’s representatives claimed to be “biggest supporters and fans” of her work.
She recounted that her team even offered to send free hair claws to the brand as a thank-you for the opportunity. The designer characterized the initial phone call as “great” and noted it lasted almost an hour. However, she said that after the call, there was “just silence” with no responses to follow-up emails.
The designer stated that her team called the brand a few times but received no reply. She then discovered the brand had launched its campaign without her. “To open my feed and see they launched it without me— mm,” she said in the video.
The designer shared her emotional reaction and the potential impact
“This could have been a big deal for our brand. This could have been a game changer, a life-changing campaign,” the designer stated. She emphasized that the opportunity came during the approaching holiday season, which is a critical time for small businesses.
She expressed that the experience made her question her career. “I felt appreciated as a designer, and stuff like this makes me want to quit, straight up,” she said. The designer also remarked, “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat there ever again,” though she did not name the brand in the video.
The designer clarified that she understands the realities of business, including changing budgets and timelines. “We are seasoned in the game,” she said, adding that her team has worked with other major brands successfully. “What upsets me is that they didn’t even have the courage to tell me the direction they were going in, or at the very least, just don’t ghost us.” This pattern of being ghosted after creative work is not unique to her, as a small business owner recently reported a running shoe company wanted 30 custom carabiner kits for free.
The video’s public caption provided additional context. It stated, “I’m not saying that every brand that reaches out to an artist is obligated to work with them.” The caption explained that what hurt was “being led through conversations and creative work, being made to feel genuinely appreciated and seen as a designer, and then being completely ignored.”
The caption also contained a direct message to other creators. “If you’re a small creator watching this: please don’t let experiences like this make you stop creating,” it read. The designer urged artists to protect their work, know their worth, and demand professional treatment.
She concluded the caption by reiterating her promotional offer. “So, in the spirit of turning a bad situation into something good: FREE mystery claw with every purchase this weekend,” she wrote. The designer stated she is “not naming names. I’m naming the pattern.”
The comments section under the video included speculation about which brand was involved. One comment read, “Ok so like i saw the Panera claw clips and i was like “oh that KINDA reminds me of Colette” now i know why :/”
Another commenter wrote, “OH MY GOD IT WAS PANERA WASNT IT.” A different user commented, “as a panera employee i’m so glad i stole them from worm allegedly. i’m so sorry.”
Other comments focused on the designer’s experience. One user advised, “Lawyer up girlie.” Another stated, “wowwww thats nasty. just a simple email “we’ve decided to go in a different direction or thats out of our budget” is just common courtesy.”
