CGI-Based Influencer Miquela Launching Snapchat Show
Miquela, the virtual pop star and digital influencer — who is literally digital — is launching a new Snapchat creator show, “Get Real, Miquela.”
The avatar, music artist and social activist is the product of L.A.-based digital studio Brud. The 10-episode “Get Real, Miquela” will air weekly on Snapchat starting today (Nov. 18) at 4 p.m. PT and will continue through Jan. 20.
In the Snapchat show, Miquela — who is constantly the subject of the question, “Are you real?” — will talk about life, love and music, “shake off the trolls” and call out celebs “who might not be 100% human either,” according to Brud.
Brud launched Miquela (aka “Lil Miquela”) on Instagram in April 2016 and since then the “Gen Z tastemaker” has inked partnerships with brands including Samsung, Prada, Calvin Klein, YouTube, Burberry and Outdoor Voices.
Miquela has 5 million followers on social media, including 210,000 on Snapchat. This past May, CAA signed Miquela as the agency’s first virtual client.
Among other projects, Miquela teamed up with digital marketplace SuperRare to create all-new digital artworks. Her first artwork on SuperRare dropped yesterday, with all proceeds from the sale going to the nonprofit group Black Girls Code. In July, the digital character released her newest single “Hard Feelings” and has collaborated with real-life artist Teyana Taylor on the single “Machine.”
Miquela, whom Brud says is 19 years old, counts a number of celebrity followers, including Bella Hadid, Millie Bobby Brown, Travis Scott, J Balvin, Rosalia and Tracee Ellis Ross.
As part of her persona, Miquela (pronounced “mih-KAY-lah”) is a “change-seeker” who has highlighted issues including challenges facing homeless and displaced women, people of color, LGBTQ people, and youth in crisis. In 2018, Time magazine named her one of the 25 Most Influential People on the Internet.
In an FAQ on Brud’s website, in response to the question “Is Miquela real?”, the company says that she is “As real as Rihanna.” The company has not revealed how it generates the voice of the character.
