Virtual influencers are just a small sample of what man is capable of doing and developing for communication and advertising because, as we will see, these social and digital figures are born by and for advertising communication.
The only constant is the change, said Heraclitus, because we will not be the ones who contradict it, in fact, we ratify it. The change in the communication paradigm that we are facing has transformed, not only the way in which we access information, but something much more profound: our way of communicating, of seeing and understanding the world. New technologies have turned the way of receiving information into an adventure worthy of any Jules Verne novel, but this time Captain Nemo aboard the Nautilus would be stunned.
Who are the virtual influencers?
Virtual influencers, also known as CGI ( Computer Generated Imagery) , are characters designed mainly by graphic design studios , and made with 3D technologies based on virtual reality and artificial intelligence, with greater or lesser realism, depending on each case. Most have a humanoid appearance, but there are also cases in which we find animated characters that are clearly identifiable as non-human.
Currently there are more than a dozen of these avatars sharing content on the networks, collaborating with multiple brands and accumulating followers. In fact, some of them already have millions of followers. Although they tend to be independent of brands, we also find the opposite case: digital avatars created specifically to star in communication campaigns and interact with younger consumers.
Such is the case of Maya, a virtual influencer created by PUMA on the occasion of the launch of her sneaker : Puma Future Rider. In this case, in addition, the personality of Maya will develop from the content that they exchange with users, through artificial intelligence. Therefore, as we can see, it is an incipient sector and to which, every year, new interlocutors of this type are being incorporated. But like everything else in the communication business: the one who arrives first triumphs or, at least, stands out much more than his peers.
We present you the most prominent virtual influencers of the moment
Miquela Sousa, better known on Instagram as @lilmiquela, was the pioneer in joining the network of photographs presenting herself as a 19-year-old Californian robot. Today he has more than 2.6 million followers, shares his songs on Spotify and Apple Music, and is also present on Twitter. He has collaborated with fashion firms such as Calvin Klein, he is the image of the #TeamGalaxy campaign for SamsungMobile -together with Steve Aoki, Millie Bobby Brown and Ninja-, he has portrayed himself with personalities such as Rosalía, JBalvin or Bella Hadid and has starred
covers and reports for ES Magazine, Notion Magazine, L’Officiel Singapore or Elle México. But this does not stop here, Miquela is the work of the transmedia studio Brud, author of other digital characters such as @bermudaisbae or @ blawko22.
Away from Miquela’s realism, we find @noonoouri, a CGI with a design based on Japanese anime with kawaii touches, which integrates perfectly into real environments thanks to VR technology. Created in 2017, it defines itself as an activist, vegan and against the use of animal skins. In the words of her own creator, she is a young Parisian who is interested in fashion, luxury, beauty, art and traveling; She is very sociable and her main features are summed up in what he calls the triple C: cute, curious, couture [cute, curious and handmade]. It is the work of Joerg Zuberg, a German graphic designer who, faced with the refusal of several investors to finance his avatar, finally decided to launch it himself through his agency Opium Effect.
In keeping with its personality, this virtual creation is more linked to luxury. Thus, among his publications we can find images in which he wears and promotes garments and accessories by Jean Paul Gaultier, Emilio Pucci, Giambattista Valli, Givenchy, Burberry, Off-white, Versace, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Miu Miu, YSL, Marc Jacobs , Missoni, Valentino, Zuhair Murad, Boss, Lacoste … And to this is added his relationship with real influencers such as Olivia Palermo, Camila Coutinho, Gigi Hadid, Zendaya, Carine Roitfeld or Penélope Cruz.
Miquela and Noonoouri are just a couple of examples of the virtual influencers that we can find on the networks, but they are joined by @ shudu.gram – an African-American woman, who proclaims herself the world’s first digital supermodel and has been part of the Balmain Virtual Army-, @ imma.gram -a virtual Japanese girl, interested in the art and culture of her country, who stands out for her striking pink hair- @plusticboy – “a virtual human in a false plastic land”, such and as we can read in his biography on Instagram-, @ria_ria_tokyo or the previously mentioned @bermudaisbae and @ blawko22.
Each of them not only has their own image that they champion until the end, but also develop their own story , knowing that storytelling is essential in social networks. They have a social conscience. They like music, video games and, of course, brands. And brands like them, too, for their excellent design, but also because many inconveniences associated with the human factor – personal life management, gaffes, inappropriate associations and other scandals – disappear and thus the errors that are made are reduced to a minimum. they can negatively affect the image and reputation of such commercial firms.
At first, some might think that it would be a passing fad, but not only have they not disappeared but, every time, there are more profiles of this type that we can find on the net. These virtual boys and girls delight both the most tekis, as well as a whole generation of users who were born imbued with new technologies. In this regard, we recently read that CGI design will be one of the most in-demand professions in the near future. Therefore, we warn: virtual influencers are here to stay. In a world in which reality is ‘virtualized’ and online interactions increase, CGIs are well-oiled machines to withstand the speed and avidity of users who require brands to constantly update and adapt to the environment.
For all this, we can only say: Welcome; We will be watching you.
Authors:
Isabel A. Vázquez Sacristán and Marina Rodríguez Hernández, professors of the Degree in Advertising at the Francisco de Vitoria University, Madrid.
