The way forward for digital influencers
We talk to the creatives behind Gen Z icon Lil Miquela and the first virtual influencer to age over time, Sylvia, about the process of bringing them to life – and why the virtual influencer industry needs a rethink
Most of us are used to the way social media blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. The phenomenon of influencers and the perfectly curated and filtered worlds of their feeds have generated fascination and criticism in recent years. Back then, it was probably only a matter of time before their computer-generated colleagues took over the Internet.
One of the first so-called virtual influencers to break into the scene was Miquela Sousa – also known as Lil Miquela – in 2016. The idea of LA-based studio Brud, the computer-generated musician, social activist and model, so far has been with fashion collaborated brands from Off-White to Prada; released a top ten Spotify single; She has garnered over five million followers on social media, earning the coveted but elusive award of a Gen Z Icon.