People are trying to make sense of a new Alexander Wang ad that uses controversial celebrity lookalikes to promote its bags

• Alexander Wang's new Instagram advertisement features celebrity lookalikes promoting its Ricco bags.

• People who resemble Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, and Kylie Jenner star in the video.

• Reactions are mixed, with some praising the marketing effort and others calling it problematic.

No, your eyes didn't deceive you.

If you were one of the 1.6 million people who saw Alexander Wang's latest Instagram reel posted on May 20, you might have thought for a split second that Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, and Kylie Jenner joined forces to promote one of the designer's bags.

But of course, they didn't.

Instead, the brand recruited four social-media stars known for their sometimes uncanny, sometimes off-putting resemblances to A-list stars to highlight the popular product.

"100% certified authentic," the video was captioned, along with a note that the $850 and $1,050 Ricco bags would be restocked on May 22.

"We wanted to play with the idea of deepfakes, exploring the multiple realities within the digital landscape," Alexander Wang representatives told Business Insider about how the advertisement came to be. "Imitation is the best form of flattery, after all."

Two TikTokers featured in the video include Paige Niemann, who has 10.3 million followers and looks like Ariana Grande, and Ashley Leechin, who has 1.9 million followers and resembles Taylor Swift.

Taylor Madison, who has 855,000 TikTok followers and resembles Kylie Jenner, and an Instagram user with 69,000 followers who goes by SurB and looks like Beyoncé, also made appearances.

Viewers are now trying to make sense of the advertisement, with some applauding the advertising effort.

"Marketing team needs a raise 😂😂😂," one Instagram user wrote.

"Alexander Wang marketing will always be top tier," another said.

"The response has been wild," the brand representative told BI. "Our community is always very committed to what we do, and to see this video go viral is very special. We love to create content which resonates globally, and to have fun with celebrity culture."

That said, utilizing celebrity impersonators in an advertisement was a bold choice, as lookalikes have faced scrutiny in recent years for taking their impressions too far.

Billie Eilish even criticized those who pretended to be her online in 2020.

Some viewers noted that in their responses to the advertisement and criticized the marketing choice.

"I love a lot of the Alexander Wang designs but this is a lazy and messed up ad," one person commented. "It also makes the product look cheap and not aspirational. do better."

Alexander Wang's Ricco bag is a new version of the brand's Rocco design, which launched in 2009 and was extremely popular throughout the early 2010s.

The brand says its latest purse features "best-of-design elements" from the original piece while showcasing new "daring, energetic, and unconventional codes."

So, by using celebrity lookalikes instead of the actual stars to promote the bag, the brand is also seemingly making a playful nod to both the similarities and differences between the two accessories.

And one thing is certain: The brand has undoubtedly succeeded in gaining attention.

Read the original article on Business Insider