WA virtual influencer or virtual model is a computer-generated fictional character that is used in social media marketing as a substitute for a human "influencer". Most virtual influencers are intentionally designed by 3D artists and use computer graphics and motion capture technology to resemble real people in real situations. AI teams and marketing experts manufacture the character's personalities and behavior to best target consumers. There are several benefits for companies to employ virtual influencers including image and brand control, lack of significant regulations, and lower cost. However, disadvantages include audience discomfort, questions of authenticity and credibility, and possibility of future legal issues.
WCrazy Frog, originally known as The Annoying Thing, is a Swedish CGI-animated character and musician created in 2003 by actor and playwright Erik Wernquist. Marketed by the ringtone provider Jamba!, the character was originally created to accompany a sound effect produced by Daniel Malmedahl while attempting to imitate the sound of a two-stroke engine.
WGorillaz are an English virtual band created in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett. The band primarily consists of four animated members: 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs (drums). Their fictional universe is presented in music videos, interviews and short cartoons. In reality, Albarn is the only permanent musical contributor, and Gorillaz' music often features collaborations with a wide range of featured artists. Stephen Sedgwick has been the mixing engineer for the band since 2005. In 2016, Remi Kabaka Jr. became the producer for the band after several years of providing the voice of Russel, John Davis became the mastering engineer, and Samuel Egglenton the assistant engineer.
WHatsune Miku , also called Miku Hatsune, is a Japanese Vocaloid software voicebank developed by Crypton Future Media and its official moe anthropomorphism, a 16-year-old girl with long, turquoise twintails. Miku's personification has been marketed as a virtual idol and has performed at live concerts onstage as an animated projection.
WKizuna AI is a Japanese virtual YouTuber (VTuber) currently part of Kizuna AI Inc., a subsidiary of digital entertainment company Activ8. From her debut in 2016 until 2021, she was the most subscribed VTuber on Youtube, with more than 4 million subscribers across three YouTube channels, 1 million subscribers on Chinese video platform Bilibili. Kizuna AI posted her first YouTube video on her "A.I.Channel" on 29 November 2016. A second channel, "A.I.Games", was opened in March 2017 for gaming content, and a third, "A.I.Channel China", opened in June 2019 for a Chinese audience.
WProjekt Melody, or Melody for short, is a 3D anime-styled live streamer, or VTuber. She first appeared when her Twitter account opened in July 2019, and she has live streamed on Chaturbate and Twitch since early 2020. During her first three days of Chaturbate streaming, Melody's Twitter followers rose from 700 to over 20,000, and her sudden rise in popularity had mixed reactions. In late 2020, Melody became a founding member of VShojo, one of the first VTuber talent agencies based in the Western world. She describes herself as an artificial intelligence.
WStudio Killers is a Finnish-Danish-British electropop virtual band made up of four animated characters: vocalist and designer Chubby Cherry, keyboardist Goldie Foxx, DJ Dyna Mink, and manager Bipolar Bear.
WYatterman is a Japanese anime television series broadcast from January 1, 1977 to January 27, 1979, comprising 108 episodes. It is the second and longest show in the Time Bokan series by Tatsunoko Productions. The series succeeded Time Bokan and preceded Zenderman. It was also the final series to be produced by company founder Tatsuo Yoshida prior to his death.