The Splice 🧬 The Tech Industry 🤝 Virtual Influencers
Plus: "Belle" movie advertised using a virtual influencer, and a metaverse guide for advertisers
Good afternoon!
Welcome back to The Splice 🧬 by VirtualHumans.org: a weekly newsletter curating the latest news, developments, and insights in the virtual influencer space.
(Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here)
🧬 Core Strands from This Week
Why the Tech Industry Loves Virtual Influencers
🔎 The Synopsis: We reviewed the top technology advertising campaigns that featured virtual influencers. The possibilities are endless, from Samsung and Lenovo partnering with existing virtuals to LG creating their own in-house influencer (who will be releasing an album later this year).
🧬 The Splice: Since virtual influencers are inherently new and innovative, they make the perfect spokespersons for technology brands. They also provide a human face to technology products while still retaining an element of futurism.
“Belle”(2021) Movie Advertises with Virtual Influencer Double
🔎 The Synopsis: The new animated film “Belle” directed by Mamoru Hosoda (known for “Summer Wars” and “Mirai”) retells the story of “Beauty and the Beast” in a modern, Metaverse setting. To promote the movie, the studio created a virtual influencer double of the main character—a virtual pop star named Belle.
🧬 The Splice: This is the first time we’ve seen a virtual influencer used to advertise for a movie. You can follow Belle on Instagram or Spotify, where you can listen to her songs from the film soundtrack. By creating these profiles, momentary film viewers are converted into lifelong fans that can extend their relationship to the “Belle” movie far beyond the film’s 2 hour running time.
🔭 What We’re Looking at This Week
The metaverse is breaking loose – here’s what it means for advertisers
🔑 Key Quote: “Ad experiences in the metaverse will need to be more immersive, interactive and user-defined. Ads will need to feel natural and fit into the same experience as the consumer, rather than disrupting it. We see the first iteration of this within in-game advertising, where ads are placed within the gaming environment, perfectly positioned to complement the gameplay.” — The Drum
🧬 The Splice: While there is a plethora of new metaverse thought pieces published every day, few have proved to be actually relevant for those in advertising. This article is an effective guide for those looking to explore new frontiers in Metaverse marketing.
Eventually, virtual influencers will prove to be the new celebrity sponsorships in the metaverse as they are able to seamlessly integrate themselves into virtual environments. Imagine going to a VR clothing store and seeing Imma wearing digital clothing that you could buy.
Best,
VirtualHumans.org
—
Insights by Makena Rasmussen, Christopher Travers, and Astrid Hiort.