Makena Rasmussen

Writer

Makena is a Writer for Virtual Humans. She has loved virtual humans like Hatsune Miku since she was 13. Her years of writing and research are driven by her desire to understand how people connect with others virtually and what the future of self-representation online will look like.

Kyra, India’s First Virtual Influencer, Has Over 100,000 Followers

Kyra, India’s First Virtual Influencer, Has Over 100,000 Followers

This 22 year old CGI woman is the first virtual influencer to tap into India’s market

The Top 10 Virtual Influencers in Korea

The Top 10 Virtual Influencers in Korea

From realistic Instagram models to animated rabbits, virtual beings are growing in popularity in Korea.

4 Brand Mascots Turned Virtual Influencers

From food to tech to insurance, any brand can create a character that will last for generations.

Kami is the First Virtual Influencer with Down Syndrome

Kami is the First Virtual Influencer with Down Syndrome

How Down Syndrome International (DSi) partnered with The Diigitals to create a more inclusive metaverse.

Teflon Sega Performs 2nd Virtual Concert in the Metaverse With Wave

Teflon Sega Performs 2nd Virtual Concert in the Metaverse With Wave

The future of the music industry is virtual, and it’s here.

This Virtual Influencer Is Sharing Ukraine’s War Stories

This Virtual Influencer Is Sharing Ukraine’s War Stories

Astra Starr has dedicated her platform to raising awareness and funds for Ukrainian people affected by the war.

Amazon Hires Virtual Influencers To Promote New Show: Upload

Amazon Hires Virtual Influencers To Promote New Show: Upload

What better way to promote a show about becoming a digital being in virtual reality than with virtual influencers?

Why PUMA Chose Virtual Influencers to Advertise Their New Kosmo Rider Shoe

Why PUMA Chose Virtual Influencers to Advertise Their New Kosmo Rider Shoe

Kim Zulu from South Africa and Maie from China were both chosen to promote PUMA’s newest sneaker.

Who Were the First VTubers and Virtual Streamers?

Who Were the First VTubers and Virtual Streamers?

One virtual human on YouTube helped spawn a multimillion dollar industry.

Superplastic’s Guggimon and Dayzee Form NFT Partnerships With Paris Hilton and Gucci

Superplastic’s Guggimon and Dayzee Form NFT Partnerships With Paris Hilton and Gucci

Superplastic may have started as a toy company, but they’re building towards a new media empire.

Alibaba Creates Virtual Influencer ‘Dong Dong’ for the Beijing Olympics

Alibaba Creates Virtual Influencer ‘Dong Dong’ for the Beijing Olympics

Dong Dong will host livestream shopping events for viewers and even respond to them in real time with AI text-to-speech technology.

Both Instagram and TikTok are Experimenting With Avatars

Both Instagram and TikTok are Experimenting With Avatars

Avatar platforms like ZEPETO may overtake traditional social networks one day.

Who Was the First Virtual Influencer?

Who Was the First Virtual Influencer?

A short history of “fake” people making real impact in media and entertainment

“Belle” Film Builds Hype Using a Virtual Influencer Double

“Belle” Film Builds Hype Using a Virtual Influencer Double

The new movie created a 3D version of the protagonist for fans to follow on social media.

FNMeka Launches Intricate “Creator Pen” Challenge, Vowing to Build a Virtual Influencer For the Winner

FNMeka Launches Intricate “Creator Pen” Challenge, Vowing to Build a Virtual Influencer For the Winner

NFTs are perfect devices for world-building, storytelling, and interactive experiences.

Roblox Game ‘Splash’ Raises $20M to Grow Virtual Celebrity Kai and More

Roblox Game ‘Splash’ Raises $20M to Grow Virtual Celebrity Kai and More

The company will use the Series A investment to launch the next generation of virtual stars on Roblox.

Virtual Influencers are Turning to Twitch: The Inside Look

Virtual Influencers are Turning to Twitch: The Inside Look

We interviewed a few of the most popular virtual influencers on Twitch to learn about their experiences livestreaming as a virtual being.

4 Reasons Brands Love to Work with Virtual Influencers

4 Reasons Brands Love to Work with Virtual Influencers

Working with a virtual influencer provides many advantages, from brand safety to a new avenue for innovative storytelling.

FNMeka and RTFKT Studios Drop NFTs with TikTok

FNMeka and RTFKT Studios Drop NFTs with TikTok

Who better to design a virtual shoe than a virtual influencer?

What is Holoearth? Hololive’s Ambitious Plan to Bridge VTubers to the Metaverse

What is Holoearth? Hololive’s Ambitious Plan to Bridge VTubers to the Metaverse

Hololive is furthering their transmedia storylines with an ambitious new project.

Video Game Engines Bring Virtual Influencers to Life

Video Game Engines Bring Virtual Influencers to Life

When developers like EpicGames share their software, they drive innovation forward.

Virtual Transhuman Ruby 9100M Talks About Her New Adidas Collaboration

Virtual Transhuman Ruby 9100M Talks About Her New Adidas Collaboration

"Having RUBY in half-robot and half-human form is an exploration in how I can empower myself through her evolution."

Brud, Creators of Miquela, Have Been Acquired by Dapper Labs

Brud, Creators of Miquela, Have Been Acquired by Dapper Labs

DAOs are the future of digital fandom

Huawei Just Hired a Virtual Human Employee Named Yunsheng

Huawei Just Hired a Virtual Human Employee Named Yunsheng

One day we could all be working alongside AIs and virtual beings...

Thailand's First Virtual Influencer is Here: AI Ailynn

Thailand's First Virtual Influencer is Here: AI Ailynn

Asia's significance in the virtual influencer industry continues to grow.

What's the Difference Between Virtual Influencers, VTubers, Artificial Intelligence, Avatars, and More?

What's the Difference Between Virtual Influencers, VTubers, Artificial Intelligence, Avatars, and More?

Virtual being classifications are diverse; here are some definitions to help keep things clear.

Holograms: Bridging Virtual Influencers into Reality

Holograms: Bridging Virtual Influencers into Reality

You could meet your favorite virtual celebrity in person someday…

2020 Paralympics Partner With Virtual Influencer Imma Gram

2020 Paralympics Partner With Virtual Influencer Imma Gram

Imma is quickly becoming one of the most renowned virtual influencers in Japan.

Celebrities Serena Williams, The D’Amelios, and More Are Creating Virtual Characters

Celebrities Serena Williams, The D’Amelios, and More Are Creating Virtual Characters

The next Mickey Mouse could be a virtual influencer built for kids.

Riot Games Revives Pentakill's Music Career with Virtual Concert Experience

Riot Games Revives Pentakill's Music Career with Virtual Concert Experience

League of Legends virtual heavy metal band is back and more tangible than ever.

Brud, Creators of Virtual Human Lil Miquela, Announce a New Direction

Brud, Creators of Virtual Human Lil Miquela, Announce a New Direction

The future of media companies is decentralized.

Touring The Musical Metaverse: Virtual Concerts are Here to Stay

Touring The Musical Metaverse: Virtual Concerts are Here to Stay

As more humans enter the Metaverse and more virtual pop stars enter our world, the lines between physical and virtual reality become increasingly blurred each day.

How Avatars Transformed the Internet

How Avatars Transformed the Internet

We see virtual influencers as digital beings, but what about ourselves?

Virtual Influencers Never Age or Die—Unless You Want Them To

Virtual Influencers Never Age or Die—Unless You Want Them To

Lil Miquela explores a new storyline about unlocking secret memories from her past…while virtual human Sylvia lays to rest. Here’s the scoop.

5 Innovative Commercials Featuring Virtual Influencers

5 Innovative Commercials Featuring Virtual Influencers

Virtual influencers grab your attention and hold it in the palm of their CGI hands.

Six Olympians Were Reimagined as Virtual Humans for Massive SK-II Activation

Six Olympians Were Reimagined as Virtual Humans for Massive SK-II Activation

Six Olympic athletes in six videos, facing six societal pressures, oh my!

Meet Alice: The Artificially Intelligent Human Who Sold For $500,000 at Sotheby’s

Meet Alice: The Artificially Intelligent Human Who Sold For $500,000 at Sotheby’s

She’s Alice in the Metaverse Wonderland.

Why Storytelling Can Make or Break a Virtual Influencer

Why Storytelling Can Make or Break a Virtual Influencer

Everyone has a story to tell— especially virtual humans.

From GEICO to Gecko: How Virtual Influencers Are Killing the Brand Spokesperson

Virtual influencers are the future of brand representation with their ability to connect with consumers on an intimate level.

Superplastic Founder Paul Budnitz on Guggimon's Major Fortnite Appearance

Superplastic Founder Paul Budnitz on Guggimon's Major Fortnite Appearance

Virtual influencers are taking over every corner of the Internet, including popular games such as Fortnite.

What are Virtual Pop Stars? A Short History of Persona-Based Music Groups and Artists

What are Virtual Pop Stars? A Short History of Persona-Based Music Groups and Artists

It’s not as new a trend as you may think...

Who is Samsung Sam? Why Everyone is Excited for a Virtual Human that Doesn't Exist Yet

Who is Samsung Sam? Why Everyone is Excited for a Virtual Human that Doesn't Exist Yet

Both virtual assistants such as Siri and virtual influencers like Miquela or FN Meka have become popular in the 21st century as signs of technological innovation. However, this is the first time we’ve seen a classic cell phone carrier AI like Siri or Bixby reimagined as a virtual human.

What Epic Games' ArtStation Acquisition Means For The Community

What Epic Games' ArtStation Acquisition Means For The Community

“Over the last seven years, we've worked hard to enable creators to showcase their work, connect with opportunities and make a living doing what they love."