An aspiring influencer approached a popular New York cookie brand in an effort to launch a collaboration before her wedding, only to be met with a monumental drop that the brand’s owner posted on her social media account.
Last month, recent college graduate and ‘beginning influencer’ Ana Montealegre emailed Halfsies Cookie Company about including some of the brand’s cookies in her bridal party boxes.
David Maffei, a self-described “middle-aged man with maybe a dozen real friends,” directed Montealegre to the company’s website, where he could place an order.
But the young bride-to-be was interested in pursuing a collaboration with the brand that would mean free cookies would be provided to her and her bridal party, presumably in exchange for coverage on her social media accounts.
Unfortunately, Montealegre didn’t seem to realize how wrong he was barking up the tree.
Aspiring influencer Ana Montealagre (pictured) made the mistake of approaching the wrong brand about a possible collaboration ahead of her upcoming nuptials.
What hardcore followers of the Halfsies Cookie Company account know, and others may not, is that Maffei has practically made it a sport to skewer aspiring social media stars and bachelorette party planners who approach him hoping to receive free gifts.
Maffei responded to Montealgre’s email by describing herself as an influencer, who had “collaborated with some brands”, telling her: “Sorry, you’re not an influencer.”
In a video montage of the exchange that he posted on Halfsies’ official Instagram page, he criticized the girlfriend by highlighting her online following, which includes TikTok, where she has 904 followers.
Defending herself, in what was perhaps a misguided effort, Montealegre responded: “I’m a beginner influencer.”
“And I’m a beginner astronaut,” Maffei responded.
During the video exchange he uploaded to Instagram, Maffei played the song ‘For Free’ by DJ Khaled.
Ana Montealagre and Román Bosquez (pictured) recently got engaged, leading the bride-to-be to approach several brands in hopes of collaborating on products she wants to be part of her wedding season.
Halfsies Cookie Company is a New York-based cookie brand that ships delicious cookies nationwide.
If Montealegre responded again after that, the public was unaware of the exchange.
But online viewers were able to digest Maffei’s methodical takedown of an aspiring influencer and the entitled nature of the pseudo-profession.
““Influencer” is a wild label,” Dave’s rant began.
‘Let me tell you how beginner influencers can get started (from a brand’s perspective). You buy products from brands you like and label them. They will probably republish you.
“You’ll get some followers and maybe other brands will see what you’re doing and eventually you’ll have engaged followers who are interested in the products you receive, but at first you don’t ask for a free product.” he gave a lecture.
She went on to write that some of the “internet’s biggest influencers” bought her cookies and promoted them before she sent them a free sample.
“I’m a middle-aged man with maybe a dozen real friends and a private account and I have more followers than her,” he concluded.
“Never in a million years would I think I was an influencer or even ask for free stuff from a company I don’t follow.”
Not everyone online seemed to be completely in sync with Maffei’s brutal approach to combating young influencers.
Many viewers in the comments section chastised her behavior.
‘Why did you post this just to embarrass her? Like a brand account no less? wrote an account.
The brand owner highlighted Montealgre’s unimpressive following on her social media accounts.
Ana Gabriela Montealegre is a recent graduate of Oral Roberts University and will be married in February 2025, according to her online profiles
Another added: ‘This is rude. In fact, she is a micro-influencer.”
“Lmao what a way to behave in a company, it’s so easy to just say no,” wrote a third viewer.
Other accounts defended the brand’s anti-influencer stance, or were at least amused.
‘I don’t know why this is in my algorithm, but I’m here for it. “You really are an astronaut because you took her to the moon,” wrote Haley J. Marshall.
“Haha, you definitely got a lot more business from this post than if she had posted about your product,” another fan wrote in the exchange.
What hardcore followers of the Halfsies Cookie Company account know, and others may not, is that Maffei has practically made a sport out of skewering aspiring social media stars and bachelorette party planners who make the mistake of expect something in exchange for “exposure.”
Instead, Maffei seems to have concluded that fighting the gifting trend is as effective a marketing plan as any, and probably much more effective than handing out gifts to all of next season’s brides.