Rockford Hobby Lobby Employees Are So Done With the #HobbyLobbyChallenge
Move over Tide Pod challenge, there's a new social media challenge in town, and it already has national and local employees of craft store, Hobby Lobby, totally annoyed.
Just yesterday I was in the Hobby Lobby on East State Street, trying to take the Hobby Lobby Challenge, and completed it (unsuccessfully, I might add) without any issues.
The challenge is simple- you try to take a glamour shot quality photo in the aisles of silk flowers at Hobby Lobby; then you share the image before it was cropped, and one after.
Perhaps I didn't draw a lot of attention to myself the first time because everyone else in the store was standing in line, but today, it was a much different story.
After failing to take a good picture for my first attempt,
I thought I'd go back with a professional photographer and try to take some real shots. After all, it was a really pro photographer who started this challenge in the first place.
We weren't even in the store for a full five minutes when a store manager came over to my friend Emily and asked her to put away her really nice camera. She explained that the store had heard of the challenge and that it was simply disruptive to employees and shoppers in the store.
And the Rockford store isn't the only location that's a little frustrated with the viral challenge. According to Business Insider, Hobby Lobby employees from around the country have been venting about the inconvenience it's been causing all over the internet.
Thankfully, for me however, after asking nicely, the manager did allow us to take some photos with my iPhone but we were specifically instructed to make it quick. This was the best that we could do sans Photoshop, air brushing and professional lighting; clearly I need all of that.
Special thanks to my friend Emily with EWauc Photography for being such a good sport and taking these really fun photos.
And if you're thinking of taking the challenge, the store will more than likely be OK with you taking some photos there, you just can't use professional photography and I'd ask for permission first.
Thank you, Hobby Lobby, for the great experience.
Bonus Video