My first introduction to virtual influencers was from a NY Times article published back in 2019 and it discussed a controversial advert involving a kiss between supermodel Bella Hadid and another female. From first glance, nothing about the other female stood out apart from their staged lesbian encounter. But from a closer inspection I realised that the female was made of pixels and her sole purpose was to attract more viewers. Her name is Miquela Sousa, also known as Lil' Miquela and she is a 19-year-old virtual influencer with over 2 million followers on Instagram.
Lil Miquela is just one out 125 other computer-generated characters currently active across the globe. This number is rapidly increasing as the technology involved in creating these characters becomes more accessible.
A virtual influencer is given a personality defined by a first-person view of the world. Each virtual influencer has their own thoroughly-structured storyline in which they are fully immersed in and are all aesthetically pleasing to watch. They also exist behind the forth wall, fully absorbed by their own narratives, allowing fans to follow their journey and experiences.