Children clothing label Balabala stitches up virtual influencer as it pivots from traditional playbook

Children clothing label Balabala has unveiled its new official brand ambassador, Gu Yu (pictured), a one-of-a-kind virtual influencer. Done in collaboration with Ogilvy Shanghai, the introduction of the virtual influencer and ambassador is in line with Balabala’s brand rejuvenation journey, which aims to shift away from the traditional fashion marketing playbook in favour of innovative, tech-infused activations that resonate with the new generation of digital-native parents. 

Gu Yu, which translates to grain rice, takes her name from the eponymous Chinese lunar calender festival on April 20, which signals a rise in temperatures and the arrival of heavy rainfalls essential for good crop growth, Balabala explained. As such, the virtual influencer is touted to be a symbolic nod to the brand's belief in promoting children's free growth and self-expression. 

Gu Yu made her debut on social commerce app Xiaohongshu, doubling up as an independent fashion blogger, and connecting with fans through regular short form content that documents her life as an influencer. The content includes behind the scenes of upcoming promotional videos, and introductions of recent clothing item releases from Balabala alongside real-life child models, or in the form of non-refundable tokens (NFTs). 

Additionally, the brand also released a limited-edition "meta dress" NFT piece, where 1000 customers could get their hands on by shopping on the brand's flagship store or by using their loyalty points. According to Balabala, China's childrenswear category has been overwhelmed with homogenised princess and traditional Chinese hanfu clothing styles, which are out-of-date and out-of-style in the eyes of many young parents. As such, Gu Yu acts as a modern companian of real-life children, who possess unique passions and lifestyles, by showcasing a variety of outfit styles, the brand explained. Ranging from preppy, urban, sporty, to girly, it seeks to inspire children to express themselves freely through fashion. 

Beyond China's social media and commerce platforms, Balabala plans to integrate the virtual influencer into its new phygital experiences, where digital and physical boundaries will blend in to deepen customer interactions. From walking down the runway at Balabala's offline fashion shows, to co-hosting in-store brand events, fans will be able to connect with Gu Yu beyond their smartphone screens. 

Gu Yue was brought to life also by Ogilvy Shanghai, which conducted extensive target consumer research and analysed data sets of children faces that were then aggregated into a 3D rendering software to create an initial prototype. Following that, the creative technology team then used a suite of AI and 3D modelling tools to further refine her facial features, including eye shape, hair thickness and skin texture. Additionally, they animated the virtual influencer in various scenarios as Gu Yue explores her passions. 

“Bringing Gu Yu to life has been an incredibly exciting creative journey, from the very early research and conceptualisation stages where we defined her key traits, facial features and personality all the way to technology implementation and agile social content creation," Thomas Zhu, group executive creative director at Ogilvy Shanghai, said. As one of the first virtual influencers for a
childrenswear brand created in China, Gu Yu is testament to Balabala’s commitment to digital innovation and positions the brand as a true metaverse pioneer in the kids fashion category, he added. 

Balabala joins other brands and organisations in leveraging technology and the digital space to forge greater connection with their audiences. For instance, Down Syndrome International (DSi) partnered with creative agency Forsman & Bodenfors (F&B) and global digital modelling agency The Diigitals to create a virtual influencer with down syndrome - Kami, in May. With the launch of Kami, DSi hoped that she would become a power representation that down syndrome is not a flaw or mistake, and that she does not need "fixing". The brand further explained then that Kami’s mission started with a pledge of inviting the world’s most forward-thinking communities and brands to help her change the digital space for the better, making it a more friendly and inclusive place for people living with Down Syndrome.

Similarly, Alibaba Group, a partner of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), also launched a virtual influencer for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. Developed by Alibaba DAMO Academy, Alibaba Group’s global research initiative, Dong Dong was created to be a passionate, outspoken Beijing-born 22-year-old woman who loves winter sports. To better connect with Olympic fans, especially the younger, tech-savvy generation, Dong Dong was created with authentic human-like features, sparkling personality, as well as her specialty to interact with audiences in an engaging manner.

Other than promoting Olympic merchandise which was available in the official Olympic shop in China on Tmall during her dedicated livestreaming shows, she responded to questions in a lively, natural human voice with different emotions, along with various body gestures such as giving a thumbs-up and posting heart-shape gesture. Additionally, she performed live talk shows to introduce Olympic fun facts to the audience, and show-off her enthusiastic, upbeat dance moves to accompany the Olympic theme songs to cheer for the Olympians. 

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