Yepp, you read that title right.
Apparently, there are computer-generated social influencers now. The more accurate term used is ‘virtual influencer’. Can you believe it?
Usually, you would hear people create an alter ego or a different persona for when they build their social media presence like how celebrities would when they step into the limelight. (y’know, like how Beyonce’s alter ego is Sasha Fierce, Christina Aguilera’ Xtina, Mariah Carey’s Mimi, Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana lol).
But can you imagine building a whole entire character? A person?
Well, not exactly a person but like an online personality from scratch. Creating their likes, dislikes and mannerisms to make them relatable to younger generations who are the vast users of social media. Creating a fake lavish lifestyle like every other social influencer you follow on Instagram. The space that was once occupied by actual human beings is now slowly being taken over by artificial intelligence.
Forget deep fakes. Tech companies are joining in the trend of Virtual Influencer and global brands are loving them for it!
These virtual influencers range from a Bratz-like cartoonish look to a hyperrealistic human style. Just imagine Sims in real life.
One of the most famous ones is Lil Miquela, a forever 19-year-old robot Instagram influencer, musician, model and YouTuber who was created by LA-based company Brud.
Lil Miquela, whose ‘real’ name is Miquela Sousa, has become an ambassador for several big names such as Samsung, Coach, Balenciaga, Kenzo, Chanel, Prada and Calvin Klein which landed her in hot water making her no different than actual human supermodels who have faced controversy. Miquela has appeared in print too, having a spread in Paper magazine and was also featured in Time Magazine’s “Top 25 Most Influential People on the Internet.
She gained over 1.7 million Instagram followers as of November 2019 including celebrities such as Sophie Turner, Diplo, Cardi B and even Malaysia’s own Yuna. WOW! (Imagine your fave celebrity following a fictional robot rather than real human you, ouch haha)
If you’re curious about Miquela, you can get to know more about her by following her on Instagram @lilmiquela or by watching her videos on Youtube.
Another famous virtual influencer is Parisian Noonoouri, who has become a fashion industry favourite. Endorsing luxury and designer brands such as Versace, Marc Jacobs, Dior, Fendi and Burberry.
Noonoouri was created by graphic designer and Opium Effect’s creative director Joerg Zuber who hails from Munich, Germany. Compared to other virtual influencers who are hyper-realistic, Noonoouri has a more ‘kawaii’ doll-like appearance. Zuber has stated that he will try to make her authentic as possible without making her look too human.
“She will age and I will grow her,” he told Bizcommunity.com
When Zuber created Noonoouri, he wanted to make her different from other virtual influencers. He builds her personality to be socially aware of the world where she becomes a strong advocate for animal rights as she does not wear fur and practices a vegan diet. Takes in and learn other peoples’ culture as she travels the world, and interestingly, she’s a Virgo who loves couture and chocolates.
As of now, Noonoouri has a strong social media presence with over 332k followers on Instagram. Her account is @noonoouri
Joining in the fad is worldwide fast-food chain KFC. Collaborating with agency Wieden + Kennedy, KFC created their own social influencer in the image of Colonel Sanders with a modern 21st-century millennial twist.
To check out more of virtual Colonel Sanders, just visit KFC’s official Instagram @kfc
With the emergence of virtual influencers, it invites this question; could this be the future of marketing for brands? And will human models eventually be phased out?
Creating a virtual celebrity or social media persona isn’t exactly new though. Remember Gorillaz? The virtual band that produced award-winning singles like ‘Clint Eastwood’ and ‘Feel Good Inc’. They didn’t phase out human bands.
But it’s fascinating. Something as subjective as human beauty has been turned into 1s and 0s – an entirely formulaic endeavour. Where will it end?
