Virtual model Miquela Sousa conquers Instagram and becomes a star: Is she our future?

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Gigi Hadid, Cara Delevigne and Hailey Bieber outdated? Virtual influencers like Lil Miquela or Bermuda are conquering Instagram and the model business. The fact that they already have significantly more followers on social networks than other influencers proves the success of this future-oriented invention. Whoever thought that these virtual influencers would be boring and without character, was sorely mistaken. In addition to an individual personality, the models have their own lives in which they report on their leisure activities with the help of story telling. However, the trend of these virtual stars is no longer limited to Instagram; a music career has also been predicted for them. Within four years, virtual influencer Miquela Sousa built a remarkable career, with currently 2.7 million followers on Instagram. Are these virtual models our future? Go back to all: Virtual influencer.

Overview hide
Virtual model Lil Miquela becomes an Instagram star
Miquela’s successes and collaborations
Success through an artificial person – inventor BRUD becomes rich
Virtual influencers: Are they our future?
Germany catches up, virtual models ”Ella, Linda and Zoe” compete

Virtual model Lil Miquela becomes an Instagram star

Miquela Sousa, better known as Lil Miquela is a 19-year-old Brazilian-American digital model, music artist and influencer with over two million Instagram subscribers. Her creators Trevor McFedries and Sara DeCou conceived Miquela in collaboration with Brud, a Los Angeles-based technology start-up specializing in artificial intelligence. The model also lives in Los Angeles, wearing real clothes from well-known streetwear labels like Supreme, Stussy and luxury labels like Chanel and Balenciaga. She made her big entrance in April 2016, where her first post was published on Instagram. However, the inventors of the model kept it secret at the beginning that Lil Miquela was an artificial person. However, this bomb exploded another virtual avatar, Bermuda. The perfect marketing strategy?

  • Origin: LA, California – half Brazilian
  • Inventor: Technology Company Brud
  • Presents fashion, appears in magazines, gives interviews
  • singer
  • 2.7 million subscribers
  • Miquela Sousa Instagram

All you need to know about Miquela Sousa!

In her Youtube video ”i’m Miquela” the virtual model introduces herself. In the video Miquela not only shares little insights of her life, but also proudly presents her past successes.

Not only does she convince with her look, but her personality is also very well received by her fans.

Fashion designers and fashion magazines, they all want Miquela!

Large designers like Calvin Klein use Lil Miquela’s fame for commercials. But the model is not only to be seen in videos, magazines like Vogue or Elle try to join the trend of virtual models. In May 2019, Calvin Klein made headlines when he had Lil Miquela appear next to supermodel Bella Hadid in a surprising campaign video. Of course, a kiss between Bella and Miquela should not be missing! 

Check it out:

Miquela’s successes and collaborations

Now, however, the question arises as to who benefits from the fame of the virtual influencer. How much has the model already achieved at this point in time, and with which brands has she already worked together? Celebrities like Paris Hilton are also fans of the bots.

Here you can find a short list of Lil Miquela’s achievements:

  • Dior
  • Chanel
  • Prada
  • Gucci
  • Ugg’s campaign for the 40th anniversary
  • Porsche
  • Burberry
  • Jacquemus
  • Moschino
  • Boramy Viguier
  • AREA
  • No Sesso
  • And much more!

What makes she so special?

A sweet look and perfectly styled every day, that’s what her followers love about Miquela. And the best: the model never ages! While Naomi Campbell or Heidi Klum have been out of the model business for a long time, Lil Miquela’s career is just beginning. On Instagram we are always looking for the person who seems perfect for us. Perfect looks, perfect life and perfect friends; we try to find all of this in one person. But the ”perfect” life does not exist in the senses. Or is there?

Virtual models fill this gap, they present themselves to their followers and fans in an almost perfect environment. With their individual personality they inspire others and are role models for many people out there. Even if many claim that this is all just ”fake”, real people are behind the avatar. They don’t just let the model present the latest products, but create a character that other people look up to.

Success through an artificial person – inventor BRUD becomes rich

How much does the virtual influencer earn? With nearly 3 million subscribers on Instagram, it is popular for advertising campaigns of large fashion companies. According to the calculations of the Sponsored Post Calculator, the model earns around 7000 Euros with every paid cooperation on Instagram. Her income is thus higher than the average earnings in Germany. She is also the top candidate of the digital ”bots” in terms of income. Within one year, this results in an amount of around 10 million euros from advertising revenues alone.

Model and influencerin is enough? Miquela proves the opposite!

The model’s inventors are successful not only through collaborations with well-known designers, but also through Miquela’s singing career. In 2017 the avatar released her first single Not Mine. After that followed further songs like Hate Me, Speak Up or Money. </Meanwhile their music videos have received 4 million hits on Youtube. Their music is very well received and the singer swims in positive feedback. 

Are you interested? Then check out some songs of the virtual model!

Single-Speak Up:

Single Money:

Virtual influencers: Are they our future?

Meanwhile Lil Miquela is no longer the only virtual influencer. Shudu Gram, Bermuda, Noonoouri and Daisy Paige compete with her. The relevance of this new invention can be seen just now in this time of crisis. Due to the corona virus, Fashion Week and many other events are cancelled. The solution: Everything takes place digitally. Virtual models are perfect for this. They can wear the latest designer fashion just like other models, and all this without much effort. Another plus point: Virtual models are suitable for any garment, which makes it very easy for fashion companies to present them in their collections.

Inventor Brud created not only virtual person Miquela, but also numerous other digital models like Bermuda and Blawko. Bermuda currently has around 275 thousand followers, Male Model Blawko around 154 thousand. All three are friends and do many activities together.

Lil Miquela, Bermuda and Co. the perfect marketing strategy?

Especially for marketing strategies, this new invention is perfectly suited. Since these new models are not only time-saving, but also comparatively cheaper than the traditional influencers/models, they are simply the best choice for cooperations or advertising clips. It is no longer a rarity that there are no real personalities behind well-known influencers. Digital advertising, that is our future! Fashion and media companies are following this trend, and who knows, maybe in 30 years we will only see virtual faces on our smartphones.

Do you want to know more about the hype of the digital influencers? Then take a look here: Virtual Influencer (social media agency, external).

Inventor Brud’s method to bring Miquela to the top of the virtual influencers

Quarrel and drama, that’s what people want to see! And this is exactly what producer Brud staged between virtual models Miquela, Bermuda and Blawko. After an argument in the Bermuda influencer Miquela accused of not being a real person, all eyes were on her. Bermuda even deleted some of Miquela’s pictures and tried to convince followers of her opinion. By the time Miquela was outed, she not only had over a million more followers on her instagram, but had also become known to big companies. With this strategy, Brud’s company attracted so much attention to the influencers that it had a positive effect on their number of followers. Relationships between the influencers is the icing on the cake of Brud’s marketing strategy. Follower could thus follow the love life of Bermuda and Blawko as if they were real people. Separations, reconciliations and much more; there is nothing that the virtual influencers have not yet gone through.

  • Staged drama to attract followers
  • Miquela’s exposure as a marketing strategy
  • Relationships and insights into their lives
  • Activities with well-known personalities

Germany catches up, virtual models ”Ella, Linda and Zoe” compete

CM Models is the first model agency in Europe with virtual influencers.”Ella”, the first digital model by Stephan M. Czaja is supposed to turn the world upside down and outdo the avatars that have existed so far. Beside Ella there are also the virtual models Linda and Zoe, which are already guaranteed to be successful. ”Zoe” will run for the fashion show in Moscow. Ella even owns her first commercial on Youtube.

Check out the following article if you want to know more about Zoe: VR model agency.

Interested in Ella’s commercial? This is how a virtual campaign looks, example: VR food campaign.

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