PacSun has sparked backlash after revealing that its newest spokesperson is digital influencer Lil Miquela, a CGI avatar who exists solely on the web.
The American retailer introduced its partnership with the self-proclaimed “queen of the metaverse” on 12 August in an effort to strengthen the model’s digital presence. Miquela (aka Lil Miquela) will collaborate on social content material for the California clothes firm by amplifying PacSun’s back-to-school and 2022 vacation campaigns.
“I’m so excited to be working with PacSun on this campaign,” Miquela mentioned in a press launch. “As a fan of their fits, vibe and vision, I couldn’t be happier to partner up as we explore what the future of fashion and culture looks like for a new generation.”
Who is Lil Miquela? The perpetually 19-year-old robotic has three million followers on Instagram, the place she posts about life in Los Angeles along with her quirky style and never-changing area buns coiffure. The AI influencer was spawned in 2016 by laptop software program agency Brud and was named one in every of Time’s Most Influential People on the web in 2018. She has since been featured in advertisements for Prada, launched into a singing profession, and was featured in a marketing campaign for Calvin Klein, which noticed the AI kissing Bella Hadid and acquired backlash for “queerbaiting”.
Lil Miquela additionally shared the information of her new sponsorship with PacSun along with her Instagram followers, writing in her caption: “I’ve never been to school (robot things) but I know y’all need some cute fits before going back!”
According to PacSun, the collaboration is an ideal match for the model, because it hopes to seize the younger Gen-Z audiences that these computer-generated digital influencers, properly, affect. “Miquela has become a digital muse for PacSun and we’re thrilled to be working with a great example of a strong female advocate and inspiration,” mentioned Brieane Olson, president at PacSun.
“She aligns with our core brand values and vision…speaking out on important social issues like BLM and Rally The Vote, as well as achieving inroads into metaverse fashion and culture. Miquela has been travelling to New York City, and we’re excited to invite her to shop with us in our Soho location.”
The AI robotic is seemingly the proper ambassador for a model. She helps social causes like Black Lives Matter, which is proudly acknowledged in her Instagram bio, and has no previous controversial tweets that might take away her from a sponsored deal. She additionally by no means ages, and garments will all the time match her completely in each commercial.
However, it’s for these causes that the response to the announcement has largely been met with criticism, with many questioning what it says in regards to the model that it was unable, or unwilling, to discover a actual girl to change into its latest ambassador.
“They could have chosen a woman in real life to be their ‘female advocate’ but instead chose a CGI personality who is probably ran by a team of 10 guys,” one individual tweeted.
Another mentioned: “Study after study shows social media’s negative influence on young girls’ mental health. They now introduced a CGI generated, impossibly perfect young girl for them to model their look after. This is disgusting.”
“Yes, let’s use a fake person to model real clothes, that will be digitally altered to fit perfectly on the fake model, and never ever look the same on an actual human. Yes, that is how we’ll sell clothing and be relatable as a brand,” another person wrote.
Additionally, digital influencers might already be posing a risk to real-life fashions and social media stars, seeing as Lil Miquela may earn as much as $1m this 12 months from sponsored posts, in response to information from Influencer Marketing Hub.
PacSun revealed that it plans to lean “more into the virtual influencer space and the metaverse” via the top of 2022.
The Independent has contacted PacSun for remark.
Source: www.impartial.co.uk
