Weeks go by, but the controversy refuses to die down. Body Minute, the leading budget beauty salon chain with no-appointment services, founded by Jean-Christophe David, is making waves on TikTok — and for unexpected reasons: the beauty institute chain chose to speak out in its own name, criticizing influencer Laurène Lévy for posting a parody video mocking its estheticians. Like a modern-day drama, stunned internet users watch this public showdown unfold online.
It all began on October 26, 2022, when Laurène Lévy, a content creator, posted a parody video on TikTok. Inspired by her visits to Body Minute salons, the “POV” (point of view) video mimics a careless practitioner. The video only reached 30,000 views and triggered little reaction.
The story could have ended there. However, the CEO — son of renowned hairdresser Jean-Louis David — didn’t find the humorous video amusing and wanted it taken down. And for good reason: it appeared at the top of the hashtag search results for the brand. Bailiffs, cease-and-desist letters, and a lawsuit followed: Jean-Christophe David used every means possible to have the TikTok removed. It was too much for the content creator, who alerted her followers to the various actions taken against her by Body Minute. She also revealed receiving death and rape threats in her email. Outraged, the TikTok community rallied. Dozens of videos condemned the company's methods using #BodyMinute, with many dissatisfied customers adding their own testimonials.
Despite the brand’s increasing promotional videos, the mocking video by the influencer remains the top post under #BodyMinute. “We’re not in control of our hashtag — it’s been thrown to the public wolves!” lamented Jean-Christophe David in an AFP interview in mid-January. “That’s the whole point of a hashtag — no one owns it. It allows people to engage with others interested in the same topic,” explains Olivier Cimelière. “Even if a hashtag is linked to your brand, it has no legal value.” The communication expert instead advises “adopting the hashtag and using it to enter the conversation and express your point of view constructively.”
The “Streisand Effect”
Despite this advice, the Body Minute CEO did receive communication counsel. “All the TikTok agencies contacted me — I’ve hired three in the past two years — and they told me, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll get it taken down.’ It cost me €300,000!” the CEO told AFP. “In a crisis, efforts are almost non-stop, and costs quickly skyrocket,” explains Olivier Cimelière. “Hiring an agency is a smart move, especially without an internal communication team — but only if you're willing to follow their advice,” adds the crisis communication consultant. In a surprising move, the founder signs his comments with his initials “JCD” on the company’s official account. “I doubt any communications professional advised him to pursue this strategy.”
“This case is a textbook example of everything not to do in communication,” continues the Blog du Communicant author. By trying everything to take down the video, Jean-Christophe David seems to have triggered a true “Streisand Effect,” a term derived from singer Barbra Streisand to describe an attempt to censor content that ends up drawing more attention to it. Today, the “Body Minute case” is far louder than the parody video that started it. Laurène Lévy’s TikTok is still the top post under #BodyMinute, now with over 1.4 million views. The hashtag is even spreading to other social platforms, where it’s largely used to support the young woman.
On Instagram, for example, @balancetonagency has uncovered more information about the brand’s CEO. In October 2024, Jean-Christophe David was accused of sexism by a customer who was outraged by an editorial on hair removal in a promotional brochure. On November 29, 2024, the Advertising Ethics Jury sided with the complainant: the editorial, distributed in salons, did in fact reduce women to object status.
A Deliberate Strategy
Did Jean-Christophe David underestimate the power of social media over a company’s reputation? Not entirely, according to Olivier Cimelière: “Failing to grasp the reach of social networks — especially as a mainstream brand — is practically suicidal. But it’s also important to monitor consumer platforms to get a sense of your reputation.” On TrustPilot, the most well-known review site, Body Minute scores 2.3 out of 5. Laurène Lévy’s parody video seems to echo many similar — often harsh — complaints. The validity of these claims was challenged by Body Minute’s general director, Fabienne Eckerlein, in Le Parisien.
In Body Minute’s case, Olivier Cimelière recommends two possible crisis communication approaches to Laurène Lévy’s satirical “POV” video. The first, and simplest: “Completely ignore the video and let it disappear into TikTok’s servers.” Or the second: “Defuse tensions by collaborating with the influencer, acknowledging mistakes, and promising to improve — or take a humorous approach to de-escalate the situation.”
As for how to handle the influencer’s revelations about the brand’s actions, the communicator sees only one option: “Apologize and immediately halt the criticized practices, while admitting to a hasty reaction. The company should explain how its estheticians’ reputations were affected and take steps to remedy the situation — perhaps even making a symbolic gesture, like offering Laurène Lévy a gift voucher.”
For now, Jean-Christophe David seems determined to hold his ground: he won’t back down unless the influencer deletes her video. “We’re ready to make a move toward her (Laurène Lévy) by dropping our lawsuits and our videos, but we hope she understands and hears our request to remove her Body Minute videos,” the company wrote in a recent statement posted on TikTok. In another video, the brand even denies being involved in a “bad buzz” and touts the millions of views on its account. “When you’re caught in a scandal you didn’t start but helped fuel, it’s better to lay low, apologize, and move on,” says Olivier Cimelière. Meanwhile, the influencer states she did nothing illegal and regrets how big the situation has become.
