An app called Neon Coat is letting influencers and models swap social media posts for free goods and services, from green juices to eyebrow treatments. Content creator Lauren Karwoski documented a day in New York City in May, during which she received a $9 juice, a $40 workout class, a $100 eyebrow lamination and a dinner at a Tribeca Greek restaurant – all for posting about the venues on her social channels within 24 hours.
The app was launched in 2017 by Larissa Drekonja, a former model from Slovenia who moved to New York in 2003 and struggled to cover basic living costs. She noticed that businesses were keen to have attractive people using their products, and that models could create promotional content in exchange for free services. Along with co-founders Dan Berger and Noah Siegel, she built Neon Coat to connect businesses directly with the famous and the beautiful.
To qualify, models must have at least 1,000 Instagram followers, a portfolio link and substantial agency work, while creators and influencers need at least 5,000 followers on Instagram or TikTok and a high engagement rate. The app currently has more than 13,500 registered users and 250 businesses, operating in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and London. Businesses pay between $400 and $1,500 to post an offer, depending on the content they hope to receive.
Karwoski, who uses the app as a money-saving tool, says it is particularly useful for smaller creators who cannot yet monetise. She has also built long-term relationships with businesses she first found through Neon Coat, with one salon later offering her a job. Another user, Gillian Dittmer, started using the app as a struggling actor to find restaurants that would cover her costs, and later used it for free haircuts and yoga classes.
Founder Dan Berger said the marketing feels organic because creators choose which offers to accept: 'Truly all the content stems from that creator deciding, “This looks cool to me. I want to try it.”' For businesses, having popular people endorse their venues is a powerful draw, and for the influencers, it means free access to the places they would visit anyway.
