What examples of social media do you find inspirational or challenging? Mention 1 or 2. Cite a reference or URL for each. Explain why they inspire you.

https://www.instagram.com/pier59studios/

I find the Instagram account for Pier 59 studios in New York City extremely inspiring as they have shaped their brand and marketed their business in a way that was not directly through marketing techniques. The Instagram features a plethora of fashion, art, photography and design from multiple creatives and circulates them in a flippant yet extremely curated way that you wouldn’t realise unless you look deeper into their content. I am extremely inspired by the content that they post mainly but also the ways they interact with their audience and create hype around their content. They often make carousel posts with a few different pieces of work with similar styles, colour palettes or themes and ask the audience which they prefer or something along the lines of “which is your mood today.” This hub of inspiration has become a household name in the creative community due to their always on-trend content and infamous pop culture references whether new or simply iconic. Because of this, the ‘actual’ brand of Pier 59, their studios, although already iconic in their own right, have been introduced and popularized in Gen-Z and millennial culture.

https://www.instagram.com/patiasfantasyworld/

Patias Fantasy World is, in simple terms, an alternative meme page but after engaging with their content for quite some time you will discover undertones of social and political activism. Patia Borja, the creator of this account is an African American activist who created the account as a ‘safe space’ for people of colour to come and not be bombarded with potentially triggering political happenings but instead be humoured about identifying as black and the culture that comes with it. This account, especially during the recent BLM movement has become infamous for circulating resources to do with racism and socio-political issues going on. I find this use of social media inspiring as it deals with and brings these issues to the forefront of gen- and millennial culture in a way that is engaging and seems to actually work.