Valentine's Gift Series Unmasked as Strategic Marketing Campaign
The social media influencer who gained fame as the 'luckiest girl in the world' for receiving extravagant daily gifts during Advent has returned with a new February series leading up to Valentine's Day. However, the romantic narrative has been exposed as a carefully orchestrated marketing strategy rather than spontaneous marital generosity.
The Viral Valentine's Campaign
Leonora Smee, the 30-year-old former international showjumper turned 'richfluencer,' has been documenting daily gift unwrapping sessions throughout February from her luxurious South African retreat. The series features high-end presents including a £180 Dior handbag ribbon, premium makeup collections from Anastasia Beverly Hills and Merit, £340 MiuMiu sunglasses, and exclusive tableware from South African luxury retailer Chandler House.
In her social media posts, Smee enthusiastically declared, 'It honestly feels like deja vu, Mark has surprised me with a gift every day until Valentine's Day! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.' The content shows her giggling on a sun lounger while opening meticulously wrapped luxury items, creating the illusion of romantic spontaneity from her 42-year-old husband Mark Cosgrove-Smith.
Behind the Scenes Reality
Despite the convincing presentation, The Daily Mail previously revealed that these viral gift-giving videos are not orchestrated by Smee's husband but represent a sophisticated marketing campaign developed by staff at her brand consultancy firm, Luxury by Leonora. The concept was created, filmed, and edited by her social media team members Anna and Anoushka, who sought to replicate similar viral content they observed online.
This strategic approach follows the immense success of Smee's Christmas gifting series, which significantly boosted her follower count after she opened gifts ranging from a £695 Aspinal handbag to Van Cleef jewelry and even a Porsche. The Valentine's series represents a calculated second installment of this proven content strategy.
Audience Engagement and Deception
Viewers have enthusiastically engaged with the content, leaving comments such as 'He's an incredible gift giver. Thoughtful items. Generous' and 'I absolutely LOVE watching your tiktoks. You two are so cute.' Another follower humorously requested, 'Can you get your husband to have a word with mine please. I think my husband is broken.'
The campaign cleverly incorporates personal touches to enhance authenticity, including references to Smee's mother advising 'If you adore her, Dior her' and claims that her husband discovered desired items in her online shopping basket. These narrative elements contribute to the convincing illusion of genuine romantic gifting.
Background and Career Transition
Leonora Smee's path to influencer status followed a significant career shift. Raised partly in America before moving to Henley-on-Thames at age six, she established herself as an equestrian athlete. At eighteen, she became the youngest competitor in the Magnolia Cup charity race at Glorious Goodwood in 2014. Her showjumping career subsequently took her to various European locations including Brussels and Germany.
Smee met her future husband Mark Cosgrove-Smith, a Glasgow native who built wealth in asset management before transitioning to equestrian business ownership, at a horse show in England. Their relationship developed after reconnecting in St Tropez in 2016. Following a serious riding accident, Smee pivoted from equestrian sports to the luxury sector, initially working for Cartier before founding her consultancy and ultimately entering the influencer marketplace.
The Valentine's gifting series demonstrates how carefully crafted social media narratives can generate substantial engagement while blurring the lines between authentic personal content and strategic brand marketing.
