CGI Influencers and Models:

“IRL I'm laying on the floor of my living room, but IN MY MIND I'm back in Salvador on top of a float, shaking my BUNDA 🍑🍑 🍑,” reminisced Miquela Sousa, a 19-years-old Brazilian-American teenager, about the days before quarantine on her recent post. 

Miquela, who goes by @liliquela, posted her first selfie back in April 2016. Since then she has been described as one of the 25 most influential people on the internet by TIME in 2018, next to contenders like Kylie Jenner and Rihanna.

Her signature Princess Leia-inspired buns, effortlessly chic looks and relatable captions (“I'm in a monogamous relationship with spicy Korean tofu 🥘”), won her collaborations with high-end companies like Givenchy and Samsung, and even scored her a feature in a Calvin Klein advert with Bella Hadid!

What may come as a surprise, however, is that Miquela doesn’t exist in the way that most people would understand the term.

The Spotify artist is part of a new wave of entertainers, who have been gaining more and more media attention, as well as followers on social media and business opportunities. She is a computer-generated digital image of an imaginary person. In other words, a CGI influencer. 

Take a few seconds for that to sink in.

But other creators like Cameron-James Wilson and Joerg Zuber have decided to be as clear as possible that their 3D models are not real. Despite being aware of the criticism towards his creations, Wilson believes the most important thing is to be honest about the situation, rather than hide things. “If you go at it from the right angle, I think it can be received well from the public,” he says.

Wilson, however, admits his concerns about how other creators are handling their digital avatars as pioneers in the industry. 

“I think we have an extreme responsibility to make sure we project these characters in the best way possible,” Wilson continues. “I think we do need to keep our eye on the power of machine learning and CGI technology, but most of all - we need to educate people so they can naturally become less afraid.”

Will they replace real models?

One of the most prominent concerns is what would digital models mean for real people working in the industry. Can they be replaced by brands desire to refresh their look and stand out online, or is there plenty of room for both real and computer-generated models to thrive and do well in the marketplace?

Digital characters are a safer choice from brands. They are an immediate attention gatherer, no social media scandals to harm a brand’s reputation in sight and always available.

But, also, the fashion industry and modelling are changing day by day. Consumers and brands are becoming more aware of the fashion industry’s impact on the environment, which is now "the second largest polluter in the world", according to Sustain Your Style. And currently, real models are extremely unsustainable and damaging to the environment; mostly because of photoshoots, reveals Wilson. He explains they are not only flying all over the world to shoot magazine covers or campaigns but also “the clothes they wear at photo shoots have to be destroyed” and send to landfills as they cannot be sold. 

CGI models, however, can be considered eco-friendly. They don’t have to travel and their clothes are, you guessed it, computer-generated. Wilson is certain the industry will use CGI technology when needed, because “it is the right thing to do for the environment”.

This also provides new opportunities for brands during COVID-19 lockdown. Following the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, new quarantine precautions that restrict regular work and ban travelling have been put in place.

These orders can be damaging for businesses marketing strategies, but at a time when models are prohibited from leaving their homes, CGI avatars can provide an alternative. For example, a brand called Hanifa has started promoting its new collection releases by digitalising its models and garments to sustain their business during the current crisis.

Jennifer Powell, the founder of a brand-building and marketing agency with several clients, including Wilson, has also spotted a rise of new digital strategies and content creation campaigns.

“What I am seeing is an increase of (bookings for Wilson) and what he does with models that he creates,” said Powell to Vogue Business, because he is “able to put models into campaigns but not expose people to one another”.

Wilson, however, doesn’t think real models will soon be replaced by digital avatars. As the CEO of a digital modelling company, he always makes sure to hire real models to help with the creation of CGI campaigns. He explains the booked models are credited fairly and paid well, and so far everyone has been happy with collaborating with him.

“I can understand why people may feel uncomfortable with the idea, but I also think, in time, I can prove to people that my intentions are to help benefit women of colour and definitely not to take anything away,” expresses Wilson. 

And this might really be the future of CGI characters, at least according to media and business psychologist, Charlotte Armitage.

While CGI influencers are fascinating, aesthetically pleasing to look at and satisfy the audience’s limitless appetite for fresh content, they open a range of ethical considerations. And, most importantly, they cannot build a strong relationship with their followers, the same way an average influencer could.

“There is no depth in there at all,” says Armitage as she believes being a model or an influencer is not just about what you look like, but it is also about what personality you can bring to the table. And while people can be easily drawn into this weird, but unique fantasy avatar world, Armitage doesn’t think this trend will reshape the future of fashion campaigns and advertising.

“I don’t think this is the way forward at all,” admits the psychologist. “I think the very essence of everything that we are is about the core concepts of who we are as people. And you cannot make a computer image of emotions.”

“There’s a really interesting revenue model built around that, wherein you might not get access to the talent themselves, but you might get access to their digital avatar, and the actual human being will make money off of the use of their avatar,” continued Young.

And his prediction might soon become a reality. While companies like Apple and Samsung are trying to popularise the idea of animated digital avatars, Shudu’s creator has a bigger plan in mind.

One of Wilson’s projects for the next few years includes filming tutorials and helping people to personalise their avatars by using the same tools he does when creating Shudu. His goal is to inspire and educate people, as well as showcase the positives of CGI and create more diversity.