Instagram influencer fools followers into thinking Ikea photoshoot was Bali holiday

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An Instagram/YouTube ad horse has carried out a cunning meta-Marshall McLuhan-style spoof by faking an influencer holiday in Bali photographed entirely in her local Ikea.

Enterprising Natalia Taylor from Ohio appears to mostly use her social media for flogging make-up and this seems to be her first foray into brave social experiments.

The YouTube video, confusingly titled "I FAKED a holiday in IKEA", explains that the cunning experiment was designed to test the gullible numpties who follow her on Instagram.

After turning up at her local Ikea in a lovely new frock with a photographer in tow, Taylor took a bunch of pictures supposedly of her lounging in her Balinese AirBnB.

A quick search for #Bali pictures and some from a mate's recent holiday gave her all the material required.

After adding the relevant geotags, the pictures went onto Instagram. But don't think this stuff is easy – according to her video, Taylor found it very difficult because: "I have such a close trust with my followers... I never want to break that trust so this is really hard for me..."

Taylor seemed shocked that it took so long for people to rumble her ruse and reminded her viewers not to believe everything they see online. Especially if she's posted it.

To be fair, her followers may not be the most cynical, savvy or even adult audience and AirBnB rooms are pretty much always filled with Ikea furniture.

With over 1.9 million YouTube subscribers, 300,000 Instagram followers and a presumably fat ad revenue account, we're not sure who's fooling who here. Taylor claims she's not sponsored by Ikea – but she would say that, wouldn't she? Or would she? I don't even know any more. I think I need a lie down. ®