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Forever young, beautiful and scandal-free: The rise of virtual influencers in Korea


She has over 130,000 followers on Instagram, where she posts pictures of her earthly adventures. Her makeup is always impeccable, her outfit looking straight out onto the runway. She sings, dances and models – and none of that is real.

Rozy is a Korean “virtual influencer”, a digitally rendered human so realistic that she is often mistaken for flesh and blood.

“Are you a real person?” one of her Instagram fans asked. “Are you an AI? Or a robot?”

Based on The Seoul-based company that created her, Rozy is a mix of all three standing between the real and virtual worlds.

She “can do everything humans can’t… in her most human-like form,” says Sidus Studio X on its website.

That includes making profits for the company in the multi-billion dollar world of advertising and entertainment.

Since debuting in 2020, Rozy has landed brand and sponsorship deals, stood on the runway in virtual fashion shows, and even released two singles.

And she’s not alone.

The “virtual people” industry is booming and with it a whole new economy in which future influencers never age, are not scandalous, and are technically perfect. digital – raising alarm for some in a country already obsessed with unattainable beauty standards.

How virtual influencers work

The CGI (computer-generated imagery) technology behind Rozy is not new. It is ubiquitous in today’s entertainment industry, where artists use it to create incredibly realistic characters in movies, computer games, and music videos.

But it has only recently been used to generate influencers.

Sidus Studio X sometimes creates a head-to-toe image of Rozy using technology, an approach that works well for her Instagram images. Other times, it places her head on a model’s body – when she’s modeling clothes, for example.

Image of Lucy, the Korean virtual person used by Lotte Home Shopping.

Image of Lucy, the Korean virtual person used by Lotte Home Shopping. Credit: Shop at Lotte’s house politely

South Korean retail brand Lotte Home Shopping has created a virtual influencer – Lucy, who has 78,000 followers on Instagram – with software commonly used for video games.

Like their real-life counterparts, virtual influencers build followers through social media, where they post snapshots of their “life” and interact with fans. The Rozy account said she was “traveling” to Singapore and enjoying a glass of wine on the rooftop while fans complimented her outfit.

Old generation might consider interacting with an artificial person a bit odd. But experts say that virtual influencers have forged relationships with young people in South Korea, Digital natives spend most of their lives online.

Lee Na-kyoung, 23 years old living in Incheon, started following Rozy about two years ago thinking she was a real person.

Rozy followed her behind, sometimes commenting on her posts, and a virtual friendship blossomed – a friendship that persisted even after Lee discovered the truth.

“We communicate like friends and I feel comfortable around her – so I don’t see her as an AI but as a real friend,” Lee said.

“I love Rozy’s content,” Lee added. “She’s so pretty I can’t believe she’s an AI.”

A profitable business

Social media doesn’t just allow virtual influencers to build a fan base – that’s where the money comes in.

Rozy’s For example, Instagram is equipped with sponsored content where she promotes fashion and skin care products.

Baik Seung-yup, CEO of Sidus Studio X. said, “Many big companies in Korea want to use Rozy as a model. only with Rozy. “

He added that as Rozy grew in popularity, the company received more sponsorships from luxury brands such as Chanel and Hermes, as well as magazines and other media companies. Her ads have now appeared on television and even in offline spaces like billboards and the sides of buses.

According to Lee Bo-hyun, director of Lotte Home Shopping’s media business, Lotte expects similar profits this year from Lucy, who has received advertising offers from finance and construction companies.

These models are in high demand, experts say, as they help brands reach younger consumers. Rozy’s clients include a life insurance company and a bank – companies that are often considered obsolete. Baik said: “But they say their image has become very youthful after working with Rozy.

It also helps that, compared to some of their real-life counterparts, these new stars are low-maintenance.

Lotte and Sidus Studio X take about a few hours and a few days to create their stars and from two days to a few weeks for a promotional video. It’s less time and labor than required to produce a live ad – which could spend weeks or months scouting locations and preparing logistics such as lighting, hair and makeup, styling, catering, and post-production .

And, perhaps just as important: virtual influencers never age, tire, or invite controversy.

Lee said Lotte decided to choose a virtual influencer considering how to maximize “hosts”.

Lotte Home Shopping hires presenters to promote products on TV – but they “cost quite a bit” and “there will be changes as they get older,” says Lee. So they found Lucy, who was “forever 29 years old.”

“Lucy is not limited in time and space,” he added. “She can appear anywhere. And yes No ethical issues. “

A question about beauty

South Korea isn’t the only place that attracts virtual influencers.

Among the world’s most famous virtual influencers is Lil Miquela, created by the co-founders of an American tech startup who has endorsed brands including Calvin Klein and Prada and have more than 3 million followers on Instagram; Lu of Magalu, created by a Brazilian retail company, with nearly 6 million followers on Instagram; and FNMeka, rapper created by music company Factory New, with over 10 million TikTok followers.

But there’s one big difference, according to Lee Eun-hee, a professor at Inha University’s Department of Consumer Science: virtual influencers in other countries tend to reflect a diversity of ethnic backgrounds. ethnicity and beauty ideals.

Virtual people in other places have a “uniqueness”, while “people in Korea are always beautiful and pretty… (reflecting) the values ​​of each country,” she added. .

Image of Rozy, the virtual influencer developed by Sidus Studio X in South Korea.

Image of Rozy, the virtual influencer developed by Sidus Studio X in South Korea. Credit: Sidus Studio X

And in Korea – which is often called the “plastic surgery capital of the world” because of the explosion of 10.7 billion dollars industry – there are concerns that virtual influencers may continue to promote unrealistic beauty standards.
Young Koreans have begun to resist these ideals in recent years, caused a movement in 2018 called “get rid of corsets. “

But ideas about what people consider beautiful in the country are still limited; For women, this usually means a petite figure with large eyes, small face, and pale, white skin.

And these features are shared by most of the country’s virtual influencers; Lucy has flawless skin, long lustrous hair, a slim jawline, and a high nose. Rozy has full lips, long legs and a flat stomach that peeks out from under a crop top.

Lee Eun-hee warns that virtual influencers like Rozy and Lucy could make Korea’s already strict beauty standards harder to achieve – and increase the need for plastic surgery or cosmetic surgery. cosmetic products in women who are looking to imitate them.

“Women really want to be like them, and men want to date people who look like them,” she says.

Image of Lucy, the Korean virtual person used by Lotte Home Shopping.

Image of Lucy, the Korean virtual person used by Lotte Home Shopping. Credit: Shop at Lotte’s house politely

The creators of Rozy and Lucy dismiss such criticisms.

Lotte’s representative Lee Bo-hyun said they tried to make Lucy more than just a “beautiful image” by crafting an elaborate storyline and personality. She studied industrial design and worked in car design. She posts about her work and hobbies, such as her love of animals and kimbap – seaweed rice rolls. In this way, “Lucy is striving to have a good influence in society,” Lee said, adding: “She is giving a message to the public that ‘do what you want to do according to your beliefs. mine.'”

Baik, CEO of Sidus Studio X, said Rozy is not something “everyone can call beautiful” and the company deliberately tried to make her look unique and different from other brands. Korean traditional standards. He pointed to the freckles on her cheeks and her wide eyes.

“Rozy shows people the importance of inner confidence,” he added. “There are other virtual people who are very pretty… but I created Rozy to show that you can still be beautiful (even without the usual attractive face).”

‘Digital black face’

But the concern goes beyond Korean beauty standards. In other parts of the world there is controversy on the ethics of marketing products to consumers who don’t realize that models are not people, nor the risk of cultural appropriation when creating influencers of different ethnicities – labeled by some as “digital black face.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, which has more than 200 virtual influencers on its platform, acknowledged the risks.

“Like any disruptive technology, synthetic media has the potential to cause both good and harm. Issues of representation, cultural appropriation, and freedom of expression have been, and continue to be, concerns. growing mind,” the company said in a statement blog post.

“To help brands navigate the ethical issues of this emerging medium and avoid potential dangers, (Meta) is working with partners to develop an ethical framework to guide the use of use (virtual influencers).”

But one thing is clear: the industry is here to survive. As interest in the digital world explodes – from reverse and virtual reality to digital currency – companies say virtual influencers are the next frontier.
Image of Rozy, the virtual influencer developed by Sidus Studio X in South Korea.

Image of Rozy, the virtual influencer developed by Sidus Studio X in South Korea. Credit: Sidus Studio X

Lotte is hoping Lucy will transition from advertising to entertainment, perhaps by appearing in a TV series. The company is also working on a virtual persona that will appeal to shoppers in their 40s to 60s.

Sidus Studio X also has big ambitions; Rozy will launch her own cosmetic brand in August, as well as an NFT (token is not replaceable), and the company hopes to create a virtual pop trio to take over the music charts.

Baik points out that most fans don’t meet real celebrities in person, but only see them on screen. So “there’s not a big difference between virtual people and the real-life celebrities they like,” he said.

Baik added: “We want to change the perception of how people think about virtual people. “What we do is not take people’s jobs, but do things that humans can’t do, like work 24 hours a day or create unique content like walking in the sky. God.



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