Virtual Influencer going Viral
- Meshanah Mendoza
- Mar 26, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 7, 2020
‘Fake it till you make it’ they say, but when it comes to virtual influencers it’s taken literally. At first glance Lil Miquela, may look like your average social media influencer, who you have probably scrolled past on your own Instagram feeds today. A single glance at her Instagram posts showcases many of the typical mirror selfies, poses in the streets of L.A showcasing the latest fashion trends and photos with celebrities such as Millie Bobby Brown. And within each of these posts is a sense of 'humanness', such as her reflections in her mirror selfies and her body casting shadows from her day photoshoots. So it’s understandable to think that she is a living and breathing human… but she isn't... because she's just a robot. And others like me who questioned this, showcase why she went viral.
With this being said, social media personalities today are constantly editing and altering their faces and bodies before they press the ‘post’ button on any platform. So these Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) characters blend perfectly in our utopian social media feeds that we constantly see. This can be described as “uncanny valley” which refers to ‘the feeling of discomfort we experience when something is close enough to human-looking or seeming to trick our brains into approaching it that way’.
In 2016 this 19 year old Brazilian- American model, influencer and now musical artist was released into the digital world, by the company Brud. This mysterious company is said to be an L.A- based start-up which is made up of “engineers, storytellers and dreamers” who claim to have professions in A.I and robotics. Alongside Miquela they created her best friend Bermuda, who also posts photos with Miquela which sparked more questions and thus followers.
Since 2016, Miquela has gained 2 million followers on Instagram solely and many companies have already integrated her in their marketing techniques. Her Instagram is filled with images of her posing in trendy outfits such as Supreme, Chanel and Prada at the Paris and New York Fashion Week. Recently she partnered with Calvin Klein alongside Bella Hadid.
This is just the beginning for virtual influencers so my question to you is, how do you think that these robots will affect the social media- marketing environment?
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That’s a very interesting point Bahar and I agree with you! I think these companies want this to be the future of social media and perhaps digital marketing even... As much as these robots are intriguing to me, your point about it raising society standards is very true and the use of these robots in marketing, can be very detrimental in many ways.
I don't see why there's such an obsession with companies and robots. Do they assume that that's just what the future will be like, or are they just pushing their fantasies onto society? Reminds me of the disaster that is Elon Musk...
It just seems like a waste of time and effort to me, to put human programming into robots, when humans can already do what they can, and even more.
I just don't see it. And it just raises the standards and societal pressures on real people.
Thank you so much Shashika! Your point of view is very true. I think it’s interesting how influencer marketing might become less prevalent, because of this.
Great read Meshanah! I was so confused when I first came across Miquela. But I think for future marketing, the use of robots or AI developments is a lot more of an interesting concept. Almost like building an everyday individual from scratch to sell these items. Getting rid of the a brand's association with celebrities and high class value. This could make selling to the average audience a little more achievable.
It is only the beginning Alysha! The introduction of these robots and their prevalence online will change the marketing environment dramatically.