There is a new crop of influencers gaining traction on social media. They look exactly like humans and may appear too uncannily perfect. They might elicit a speck of unease, but they are sneakily influencing consumers’ purchasing decisions.
Virtual or avatar influencers are computer-generated imagery (CGI) characters created to execute marketing campaigns, acting as a brand’s “ambassador” or “spokesperson” just like human influencers and celebrities do.
Among the most starry virtual influencers is Lil Miquela, created by Los-Angeles-based startup Brud — a group of problem-solvers specializing in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). The robot has so far racked up 3 million followers on Instagram, having teamed up with world-renowned labels such as Prada and Dior.
Shudu, claimed to be the world’s “first digital supermodel”, boasts more than 230,000 Instagram followers and has promoted luxury brands like Chanel, Bulgari and Balmain. Bermuda is a politically controversial one, and also a musician, having produced albums to keep her fans entertained.
For a host of reasons, more brands and marketers are gravitating toward digitally generated influencers for marketing campaigns.
First and foremost, this allows brands greater flexibility and control. These virtual ambassadors can “attend” multiple events simultaneously and are at the brand’s disposal 24/7.
Virtual influencer marketing is notably cheaper when it comes to photoshoots or travel, said Andrew Hutchinson, an award-winning blogger, author and social media marketing analyst. “There are costs involved in creating top-notch digital images, but they would still be far lower compared with a major celebrity campaign,” he said.
When virtual ambassadors are created by AI companies, “they are brand neutral, involving no personal opinion to consider in taking on a deal”, said Hutchinson. AI influencers are unlikely to go off-message, misinterpret or distort brands’ information.
Many brands have given birth to their own avatar influencers. Prada introduced Candy, a freckled, purple-eyed, stylish girl for its fragrance line last year, who has featured in short videos, Twitch, TikTok and print covers. Candy’s presence in the advertorial video has stirred conversation among viewers, with mixed feedback.
For some, the virtual poster girl breathes new life into influencer marketing. One comment read: “My god, this is so amazing!!! Please keep her as a model and not just for this spot! The best advertisement I’ve seen in years!” Another said: “Is she supposed to be a virtual influencer? I just get the vibes. Prada, this advertisement is amazing! I don’t wear perfume, but I still want one now. Very well done!”
For some, however, Candy is too artificial to believe. A viewer lamented: “Kinda disappointing to see that in 20 years, exactly nothing has changed about CGI characters”, while another dismissed the perfume commercial as “smelless and soulless”.
The spectrum of virtual influencers ranges from 100 percent CGI avatars to purely organic real person avatars.
Puma introduced Maya to its Southeast Asian market last year to promote its “Future Rider” shoes collection. The design team used AI to map millions of faces from Southeast Asia, then superimposed faces representing different peoples of the region on the model, resulting in multiple versions of Maya that appeal to all customers across the region.
The initial cost of creating an AI influencer from scratch can be expensive. But as the formula is established, generating more iterations will be much cheaper and easier, said Phan Tuan Quang, associate professor of innovation and information management at the University of Hong Kong.
Each existing virtual influencer can produce numerous virtual spinoffs, generating varied storyboards targeting specific niche demographics. It is a process of extending the micro-influence of virtual influencers with a low budget, said Phan.
“Right now, because of the publicity and novelty, many virtual influencers are seen competing against top-tier (celebrity) influencers. But down the road, because of the cost structure, I think we will see them pitting against micro (human) influencers,” he said.
When a brand opts to bestow an exhaustively compelling life narrative on its virtual character to continuously grow in sync with the brand, the alignment of a “product cycle” and a “character lifecycle” is forged. This is instrumental for the brand to leave a deep mark on its fan base, explained Didi Pirinyuang, executive creative director at Ensemble Worldwide, who was involved in the creation of Maya.
“They (Puma) launched a new line of sneakers and sought a brand-new personality representing the collection,” Pirinyuang said. But this does not mean Puma will outgrow Maya, because one Maya can “give birth to” a range of “Mayas” with nuanced traits to represent different collections of Puma shoes in future.
“So, at the moment, Maya is on holiday,” quipped Pirinyuang. “We give her a respite until the brand is ready to launch a new collection.”
People follow influencers because they are enamored with or related to the influencers’ personalities and “histories” — where they came from, what they did and what they represent, Phan noted. It is the emotional attachment that gives influencers “social capital” which is then utilized by brands for marketing purposes. “This is not only the beauty of (human) influencer marketing, but also the drawback,” Phan said.
The more recognized influencers are, the more public scrutiny they are subjected to. An example is Viya, the top Chinese livestreamer and influencer who was prosecuted for tax evasion. So, there is a duality in influencer marketing, Phan argued. “The delicate balance is brands collaborating with influencers, cashing in on their social capital which may also become a liability later on.”
Virtual influencer marketing, in comparison, allows brands to craft the fictional persona from scratch, without history, said Phan. “They can curate a virtual being exactly the way they want.”
Early criticisms of AI influencers have revolved around “inauthenticity”. These artificially made influencers “may not show their weakness and vulnerabilities”, Phan explained. Flesh-and-blood human influencers are perceived as more genuine, even though their stories on social media can also be carefully curated.
Virtual marketing influencing is just in its nascent stage, with tricky issues to contend with. Among them is the lack of transparency. While some influencers make an explicit statement about sponsored content, many do not, leaving the audience in the dark.
The unregulated use of virtual influencers and “synthetic versions of real people”, or deepfakes, has spawned a crop of videos that are ostensibly benign but essentially misleading and deceptive. For example, David Beckham is seen speaking nine languages in a video for a malaria awareness campaign, which turned out to have been fabricated by an AI startup. In worse imaginable scenarios, deepfakes can be used to spread rumors and political propaganda.
Responding to the thorny issue, Meta Platforms, formerly Facebook, has said it will introduce ethical boundaries in the application of AI figures.
Well-curated virtual influencers, often blessed with porcelain skin, flawless features and perfect body shapes, have triggered raging criticism that their impeccable constructs may feed into the unrealistically ideal beauty standards plaguing mostly women and teenagers. This toxic culture, which has existed since the advent of social media and been fueled by the omnipresence of image-editing tools, is responsible for mental health issues — such as body dysmorphia, low self-esteem, negative thinking and self-identity problems — with grave consequences.
But Phan is not that pessimistic. He believes that virtual influencers can counteract the culture. If creators can customize flaws on their AI muses, virtual influencer marketing will be a perfect vehicle to celebrate natural beauty, Phan reckons.
Among the pioneers is the Chinese CGI creator Jesse Zhang, whose brainchild Angie has uneven skin with acne scars visible on her blushed face, wears pajamas, and likes yawning. She has more than 300,000 followers on Weibo and Douyin.
Apart from building some flaws into the digital characters, “there should also be regulations for disclosure on digitally altered images, making it clear that this is not realistic, which could reduce unhealthy comparisons”, Hutchinson said.
Nicholas Chan Hiu-fung, a partner at global law firm Squire Patton Boggs and an expert in AI-related regulatory compliance, said he predicts the increasingly sophisticated computer algorithms will lead to a crop of more humanized virtual influencers who deliver the best tailor-made experiences to consumers. Through social media profiling, the AI influencer will be able to identify an online viewer’s needs, preferences and even characteristics before getting into a dialogue. Not only will there be a deeper sense of kinship, the avatar influencers will also be able to provide more customized purchasing recommendations.
At the end of the day, virtual influencers will make shopping in brick-and-mortar stores a personalized and immersive experience. The more engaged you are in the virtual influencer’s metaverse, the better he or she understands you, said Chan, whose firm’s core legal disciplines include intellectual property and data privacy.
“Then the influencer can share the knowledge about you with, say, an offline cosmetics store (with your consent) so that the service will be bespoke.”
