The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
L’Oréal Group this week announced its first-ever virtual idol, an anime-style two-dimensional character named Mr Ou. The idol, who is described as being a 24-year-old, Chinese-French entrepreneur who cares for the environment and works within the beauty industry, will be tapped to contribute content on L’Oréal’s social media channels related to beauty trends, ingredients, sustainability initiatives, as well as interviews with influencers (know as Key Opinion Leaders, or KOLs in China) and celebrities.
The virtual idol industry in China has exploded in recent years. According to a 2019 report on virtual idols released by Chinese streaming giant iQiyi, 64 percent of people aged 14 to 24 were followers of virtual idols and last year, on Bilibili, there was a 225 percent year-on-year increase in the monthly average viewing time of virtual idol livestreams.
As real life celebrity and KOL endorsement prices skyrocket in the China market, the relatively small investment in a virtual idol is certainly a cost-effective move from L’Oréal, but it remains to be seen whether virtual idols can inspire the same kind of fervid devotion among fans that Chinese celebrities boast.
International buyers and talent scouts must cast their nets wider than the usual fashion week incubators, prizes and schools to find the country’s next crop of emerging brands.
Chinese celebrities made a comeback at the European shows this season, but the brands hosting them see the country’s A-listers as more high-risk, high-reward than ever amid fresh scandals and tightening government regulation.
Owners of international brands like Lanvin and Carven faced challenges in their home market under ‘zero-Covid’ rules but China’s economic recovery is now on the horizon.
Critics say they are dystopian, but ‘flawless’ virtual influencers may be worth considering in a market where celebrity brand ambassadors have become an increasingly risky investment.