Virtual Influencer Earns Thousands While Promoting Brands and Unrealistic Body Image
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Aitana is a 25-year-old virtual model created by Rubén Cruz's agency in Spain to serve as an influencer that brands can hire. She earns up to €10,000 a month.
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Aitana has over 121,000 Instagram followers. She promotes brands, sells lingerie photos, and even receives messages from celebrities unaware she's not real.
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The agency gives Aitana a life and personality, deciding what she does each week. She's marketed as an outgoing, caring fitness enthusiast with an interest in Asian culture.
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The agency has created a second virtual model named Maia. Brands are requesting personalized models to represent their values without issues of firing real influencers.
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While cheaper than hiring real influencers, critics argue Aitana promotes an unrealistic and overly sexualized body image that could negatively impact young people.