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Virtual personalities take up a small corner of the internet, but their influence is growing. Whether we like it or not, with the promised metaverse lurking on the horizon, it seems like virtual influencers are here to stay.
Despite their nature, it’s astonishing how many real people comment and interact with their posts as if things were happening in real life. They have become part of a growing community of social media personalities—the only difference being that they don’t exist in the flesh.
Meet the top 10 virtual influencers with millions of followers!
Lu do Magalu – 6M Followers
In 2003, Lu was created as the voice of an in-store salesperson for Magazine Luiza’s websites. Then she appeared on Magalu’s YouTube channel for the first time, hosting tutorials about the Brazilian tech retailer.
As the influence grew, she eventually became the brand’s spokesperson and helped the company build a fanbase of 32M+ across social media platforms.
Casas Bahia – 3.3M Followers
Virtual influencers rarely age. However, in 2017, Casas Bahia, aka CB, started as a 2D child and grew into a teenager after a redesign.
CB is extremely passionate about games and youth culture. Apart from product promotions, his content focuses on games, movies, memes, and questionnaires for fans.
Lil Miquela – 2.9M Followers
Miquela is a virtual storyteller and a successful one.
She is one of the most famous virtual influencers and the first hyperrealistic one to achieve mainstream popularity on social media, where fans follow her life in Los Angeles as a 19-year-old robot girl. A secretive LA startup, Brud, has been in charge of Lil Miquela’s Instagram since its creation.
Guggimon – 1.5M Followers
Created by the vinyl-toy company Superplastic, Guggimon is a rambunctious rabbit.
He starred as a character in Fortnite and has collaborated with major brands like Gucci. Fans love Guggimon for the insane pranks he pulls on his fellow Superpastic star, Janky.
Knox Frost – 1M Followers
Knox Frost’s mission is to blend into a world that doesn’t believe he’s real.
The 20-year-old computer-generated influencer partnered with the World Health Organization (WHO) and helped promote the civic-minded Rock the Vote.
Noonoouri – 404K Followers
Munich model cum vegan activist Noonoouri promotes green living through her considerable influence as a fashion icon.
The plucky vegan refuses to wear furs and hopes to see more people adopt a cruelty-free lifestyle. In addition, Noonoouri gave Vogue magazine an exclusive interview on being a virtual influencer and working with Kim Kardashian.
Bermuda – 263k Followers
Revealed in 2016 by Brud, Bermuda is building her own story in the music world.
The robot woman is on a personal mission to inspire entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams at the intersection of beauty and technology. She is represented by PR firm Huxley and invested in by Spark Capital, M Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Chris Williams, BoxGroup, Founders Fund, and WME.
Shudu – 237K Followers
Created by photographer Cameron-James Wilson, Shudu is the world’s first digital supermodel.
The South African Barbie Doll became very famous when Rihanna’s cosmetic brand ‘Fenty Beauty’ published an image of Shudu using one of their lipsticks. Currently, Shudu offers financial services for major fashion brands such as Balmain.
Ronnie Blawko – 138K Followers
Originally from Los Angeles, California, Blawko made his first appearance in 2017.
This AI influencer is also a creation of Brud, a startup founded by Sara DeCou and Trevor McFedries. He often shares audiences with Bermuda too. They generate a handful and great content related to their lives, diversity, and pop culture.
Serah Reikka – 81.2K Followers
The award-winning, semi-autonomous AI has more than 79,000 Instagram followers.
Since 2014, Reikka has had a purely online presence with a changing personality and appearance, all governed by a set of algorithms. She is the first CGI French model and actress, famous for her role in ‘Beyond Polaris’.