Aftonbladet's reporter, Melodifestival veteran Tobbe Ek, believes that there is a slippage in how SVT interprets the regulations regarding the contestants' commercial assignments.
- 20 years ago, artists' advertising collaborations were a controversial topic.
SVT was careful that Melodifestvial's participating artists were not allowed to get involved with companies.
Nowadays, many artists receive their main income via commercial collaborations, and since Melodifestivalen wants to have the hottest artists, the regulations have had to be interpreted more openly, says Tobbe Ek.
Liamoo, Theoz and Vlad Reiser are some of the artists who over the years have had to comply with Melodifestivalen's regulations regarding advertising collaborations.
In 2019, Melodifestivalen's project manager Anette Helenius considered that the influencer and intermediate participant Vlad Reiser's marketing of loan brokerage services via his Instagram account "wasn't okay" and it wasn't long before the advertisement was deleted.
They can do what they want
In this year's edition of the Melodifestivalen, project manager Anders Wistbacka believes that the participants "have the right to do what they want, as long as there is no connection to the Melodifestivalen".
Theoz, which is one of this year's contestants, has to deal with a kinder interpretation of the regulations regarding advertising collaborations.
He is allowed to continue competing despite promoting online games on his social platforms.
Adapted to the influencer profession
SVT's press manager Camilla Hagert believes that there has been a change in the media landscape and that SVT has also had to adapt to the influencer profession:
- There has been a shift in the whole influencer phenomenon.
We would not get any artist to participate if it was the case that the contestants were not allowed to be associated with commercial actors outside Melodifestivalen at all, says Camilla Hagert.