Chrissy Teigen Extends Unpolished Social Media Approach to Pet Brand, Kismet

At Adweek’s Brandweek, the model discussed her authentic approach to campaigns for her latest business venture.

Chrissy Teigen / John Nacion/Getty Images

In recent years, Chrissy Teigen has seemingly been at the forefront of the movement toward unpolished social media content. We have the approach to thank for the supermodel’s tendency to share any and every little outtake from her life. As a mother of four young children, a model and an entrepreneur, the 38-year-old has her hands full. And the SI Swimsuit legend’s social media content is a testament to that.

Looking at her Instagram account alone, fans can get a taste of the days and weeks in her life—including everything from family life to red carpet appearances and brand campaigns alike. But she doesn’t simply relegate the approach to outtakes from her personal life. When it comes to her latest entrepreneurial venture—a pet food and merchandise brand called Kismet that she founded in May alongside her husband John Legend—she has adopted the same attitude.

In the months since launching the company, the model has found fancy ad campaigns to be much less compelling than unvarnished social media posts. On stage at Adweek’s Brandweek event in Phoenix on Sept. 25, she spoke to the success of her more casual branded content versus more polished campaigns. In the past, the ones that she has spent thousands of dollars on never tend to do as well, or “[get] the likes and shares,” as her off-the-cuff content does.

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“I’ve spent so much money on shoots and those never do a quarter as well as anything just filmed selfie-style on my phone, costing zero dollars with zero makeup,” she said. “It’s really important to people that things aren’t too glossy and perfect all the time.” 

If her goal is to make Kismet “a family business,” as she said on the stage at Brandweek, then behind the scenes content certainly feels like a step in the right direction. It takes the form of “dumb videos in bed with your dog,” among other things, and draws consumers in through its familiarity and attainability.

The philosophy has guided Teigen’s personal social media content as much as it has guided her professional output. In fact, her 2024 SI Swimsuit Issue cover photo shoot was a testament to it. The spread was captured at her home in Los Angeles, a unique choice of location—and Teigen’s preference. “We could have gone to different locations,” she explained while on set, “but I wanted them to see my babies and my family and John—and get to feel at home.”

The same mentality will likely serve as the guiding principle for all of her future endeavors. After all, “consumers are so smart now,” Teigen said, and they feel more inclined to consume brands and products that they find to be authentic.