If you haven’t seen the Anthropologie rock video on TikTok, I hate to say it but you might be living under… well, a rock.
The chaos began when creator Phoebe Adams uploaded a video unboxing what looked like a very ordinary stone. She told her boyfriend, Dan, that she’d bought it from Anthropologie for $150. Dan’s face immediately collapsed into pure despair. “You spent how much on a rock?” is the subtext, though his reaction is far more dramatic, and makes perfect sense if you’ve ever seen Anthropologie’s prices.
@phoebeadams112His full on crash out at the end HAHA♬ original sound – Phoebe Adams
Things escalated in a follow-up video where Adams takes Dan into an Anthropologie store. She gasps theatrically, pointing out that the rocks are “back in stock” and priced at $1,000. Dan, by this point, looks physically unwell. “There’s no way this is real,” he mutters, staring down at what is, objectively, just a rock.
@phoebeadams112 Can’t wait to add to my Anthro rock collection!!! Thank you @Anthropologie #AnthroPartner ♬ original sound – Phoebe Adams
TikTok went feral for it. Adams’ original video has more than 11 million views, and hundreds of people have since filmed their own “Anthropologie rock unboxings”, tricking their partners, siblings, and mums into thinking they’d blown rent money on a pebble.
@noahandlori Okay but I think I actually had his support until he heard the price ib:@Phoebe Adams #couple #marriedlife #couplecomedy #marriage #noahandlori ♬ original sound – Noah and Lori
Rather than debunking the trend, Anthropologie leaned straight in. The brand posted its own video of a customer walking into a store and asking for the rocks. An employee then unveils a display of perfectly normal-looking stones, some tagged in the four-figure range, with a smug little “50% off” sign.
@anthropologieofficial the season’s hottest décor: ROCKS #anthropologierock ♬ original sound – Anthropologie
The reason the prank hit so hard is simple: It’s believable. Anthropologie is notorious for flogging overpriced homeware – remember that $2000 dollar marble table that got knocked over? A $150 rock sounds absurd, but not that absurd.
So no, you can’t actually buy a rock from Anthropologie. But the fact we all thought you could? That’s the real joke.
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Featured image credit: TikTok/@anthropologie, @noahandlori