It is 2030. Your brand is launching and needs an ambassador. Where do you turn? An athlete, entertainer, musician, social influencer, doctor, robot, inanimate doll, community group or deceased celebrity? Moreover, how the heck are we going to activate the relationship?
Well, we know this. As technology continues to lace itself throughout our social and professional lives, it becomes an accelerant to what we want more. And more and more, people prefer “relatable” versus “aspirational” personalities. Technology will fuel this, making connecting talent to consumer seamless immediate and scalable.
So here is a look into the brand-talent and people-talent relationship in the future.
Real-Time Incubation. Sneaker companies and NBA stars spend months designing and developing new signature sneakers. Expect people to become even more directly involved in the creative process. Sneaker creation will become the new “Stephen Curry announcement,” as people real-time stream a live, broadcast-quality development event. Audience will tell the celebrity and brand team how the laces should lay, the shape of the tongue, the pattern of the sole and design. By the end of the “show,” a new shoe will be built, sold and ready to ship, redefining both just-in-time inventory and licensing. At some point, brand and talent will be able to incubate any product live via crowdsource recommendations from their fans. The app NTWRK is doing great work in this space.
Interpersonal Advice. The functionality of interactive mirrors is exploding. Brands will hire celebrities so that their likenesses respond to how new pieces look on people. Imagine a fashion designer appearing in your mirror to make specific clothing recommendations and even reacting to your opinions. Fashion is an early adopter industry here, but others will follow suit. That personal interaction brings talent into people’s lives while creating value and social currency. Watch what Amazon Echo Look does in this space – it has already started.
Interactive Creative. Augmented reality lets people put assets and experiences into the world. Virtual reality invites people into a different world. Mashing those two technologies delivers a new, highly interactive brand experience. Like sitting shotgun with Matthew McConaughey in a Lincoln ad. Pick up a friend so the two of you can share and compete to see whose ad is better. Ad customization is here, but ad personalization is next.
Voice Over. Alexa and Siri adoption is near critical mass. In the same way we talk to a virtual assistant, we will soon talk to talent directly through a phone, windshield or tablet. Imagine asking about specific sizing and colors and your favorite actor responds. Follow Statmuse and see what they are uncovering.
Inanimate Celebrities. Inanimate celebrities are not new. Barbie has been an icon since the 1960s. In 2007, Hatsune Miku, a Japanese holographic pop star, launched. The latest “star” is Qai Qai, a doll that belongs to Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian’s daughter. That is right, the doll of their daughter (who has amassed 120,000+ Instagram followers). Her team has turned the plastic into a person. Qai Qai will surely become animated and interact with fans, lowering the barriers to more interactive toy experiences. Expect a glut in the market of toys that interact live with kids and a personalized e-commerce company like Shoperr allowing these “real live toys” to commercialize their stardom. Gone will be the days of a celebrity endorsing the toy, as the toy itself will be the celebrity. The Qai Qai book and movie will not be far behind. Note: she surely will be selling her own goods on her Instagram channel thanks to the launch of Instagram Checkout. And tying back to her famous "owners," Qai Qai acts as a vehicle for Serena and Alexis to share their values and what’s important to them in a way that’s wrapped in fun and lightheartedness.
Reanimated Celebrities. Iconic celebrities never die because dead celebrities are a booming licensing business. Albert Einstein t-shirts. Elvis Presley guitar straps. Marilyn Monroe finger puppets. (These are all real.) If a de-aged Samuel Jackson can wisecrack his way through Captain Marvel, then a hologram Tom Petty could perform a concert on behalf of a spirits brands at thousands of bars – at the same time. Muhammad Ali could teach your Orangetheory boxing class. Julia Child would be in your kitchen with you to co-cook a Thanksgiving turkey on behalf of Butterball. Gone are the days when a celebrity can only be in one place at one time.
Talent living through tomorrow’s technology deliver experiences that connect much deeper than a morning show interview ever could. Start imagining how to personalize experiences through digitized personalities and you will be creating the future today.
Like everything in life, it takes a team to create and refine vision. Special shout outs to creative minds like Josh Patterson, Alan Kercinik, Ryan Hoover, Sebastian Oddo, Jordan Ruby and Meredith Kinsman for exploring the future.
