Whether you agree or not, virtual influencers are making an impact on the influencer marketing landscape.
While they may not be as relatable as a real human influencer, they certainly are entertaining. Here are 8 virtual influencers you should be following on Instagram in 2020.
Laila Blue (@chasing.laila)
Meet the Middle East’s first influencer, Laila Blue.
Created in 2018, Laila is based in Dubai and identifies as half-French, half-Lebanese. She’s an AUD graduate, having studied Motion Graphics and works as a freelance social media manager for a pop-up art space in Al Quoz.
She posts images in picturesque locations all over Dubai and recommends restaurants and cafes to her audience. On top of it all, Laila has graced the cover of Grazia Middle East – which is a huge accomplishment for any influencer.
Noonoouri (@noonoouri)
Noonoouri is the new CGI sensation on the virtual block. In her words she’s cute, curious and couture and is one of the fastest growing influencers on Instagram.
With over 250k followers on Instastagram, she landed a KKW beauty contract and has even been featured as Dior Cosmetics’ ambassador. Although Noonoouri is based in Paris her creator, Joergz Zuber, is based in Germany.
Noonoouri has even made her Middle East debut, gracing Harper’s Bazaar Arabia in a photoshoot wearing exclusive Zuhair Murad.
Lil Miquela (@lilmiquela)
The OG of virtual influencers, Lil Miquela (real name: Miquela Sousa) took the world by storm when she was launched by Silicon-valley based tech company Brud in 2016.
From YouTube sensation Shane Dawson to media outlets like Vogue and BCC, this half-Brazilian, half-Spanish 19-year-old virtual influencer and model is not only an Instagram sensation (with 1.2 million followers) but has also gone viral on music-sharing app Spotify, with her debut single “Not Mine.”
Some speculated her to be an exaggerated CGI avatar of an Instagram model, while others proclaimed that she’s a marketing gimmick by some huge corporation.
Imma (@imma.gram)
With a K-Pop aesthetic and Japanese influence, Imma is a virtual influencer that has become a global sensation. She was created by a Japenese tech company in 2018.
According to Interesting Engineering “Imma was created by CG company ModelingCafe, who transposes her 3D animated head onto a real-life body and background. Imma takes her name from the Japanese word ima which means now.”
Like many of her virtual influencer counterparts, her resemblance to a real human is uncanny and leaves many confused.
Bermuda (@bermudaisbae)
Known most famously for being responsible for hacking Lil Miquela, Bermuda is another brainchild of Brud.
Bermuda went from feuding with Miquela in 2017 to befriending her last April. She’s very different from Miquela when it comes to style, ethnicity and political views. If you’re interested in keeping up with the drama, be sure to follow her on Instagram.
Blawko (@blawko22)
Another member of the #brudgang, Blawko’s Instagram is mostly social commentary and posts where he inserts himself into memes.
With a provocative sense of style, Blawko does not hold back when it comes to comically criticizing public figures. His page boasts numerous appearances from his virtual influencers friends Miquela and Bermuda.
Shudu (@shudu.gram)
Shudu is widely considered to be the world’s first digital supermodel – and it’s easy to see why.
She’s the most human-esque out of the bunch, and easily could be mistaken for a real human influencer. After all, she blinks and moves in her video posts on Instagram.
From landing brand deals with Fenty Beauty and Tiffany&Co., Shudu has been “featured” in photoshoots from all over the world.
Some of her images are supposedly shot in Dubai, while others in London and Sydney. The creator of Shudu, photographer Cameron-James Wilson has been very full-disclosure about the fact that Shudu is an endeavor in his work in 3D Art.
Koffi Gram (@koffi.gram)
Created with the same technology and materials as the other Brud influencers, Koffi is supposed to be the better half of Shudu.
Koffi is the newest to the virtual influencer game. He’s only posted three posts in the past three weeks. Not very much is known about him yet about his objective or partnerships, but he has gained over 4000 followers since his inception on Instagram on New Year’s Day.
Binxie (@itsbinxie)
One of the newest kids on the virtual influencer block, Binxie started posting to Instagram in May 2019 and is currently 99.9 followers strong.
While there isn’t much information about her online, what we do know is she’s friends with Aliza Rex – another CGI influencer who made her debut in 2019. Both Binxie and Aliza use the tag #notahuman, and don’t appear to be part of the same CGI gang as Miquela and co.
Aliza Rex (@alizarexx)
Aliza Rex has been active on her account since June 2019.
While there also isn’t a lot of information about her online she subscribes to a similar aesthetic and style as Binxie.
What are your thoughts on virtual influencers? Let us know in the comments below.
Written by Shivani Mathur