Virtual influencers take control
December 2025 marks a turning point: the virtual influencer is no longer an experiment; it becomes a profitable strategic asset. Aitana has millions of European followers, brands are creating their own proprietary avatars to control their narrative, and Natura demonstrates that AI can embody credible environmental engagement. Three cases where the virtual outperforms the real.
Aitana — The virtual influencer conquering Europe
Created in Spain, Aitana has become one of the most-followed virtual influencers in Europe. Her audience, predominantly female (69%), concentrates in the 18-24 age band and extends across Spain, Italy, France, Portugal and Germany. Positioned between gaming, fitness and lifestyle, she already collaborates with European brands seeking to test safe TikTok and Instagram activations.
The advantage: total control of the narrative, 24/7 availability, no unpredictable bad buzz. Aitana does not take holidays, refuses no brief and remains perfectly aligned with brand values. Yet she retains the very human codes of creators: storytelling, authentic interactions, content that resonates emotionally.
Why it’s inspiring: Aitana proves that an avatar can generate massive engagement without sacrificing perceived authenticity. European brands are testing this model to stabilize their digital activations, avoid the volatility of human creators and extend their cultural presence without multiplying contracts. The virtual influencer becomes a predictable editorial backbone.
Nova and the “brand-owned influencers” — When the brand becomes the creator
A strong Europe-wide trend emerges for 2025: brands no longer recruit only external influencers; they create their own characters. Whether they are in-house humans or proprietary AI avatars, these brand-owned influencers serve as stable pillars for always-on content on TikTok, Reels and live shopping.
The strategic interest is clear: these characters allow assets to be reused, adapted and localized quickly, without relying on an external roster of sometimes unpredictable influencers. The brand retains creative, editorial and legal control. It can test messages, adjust the tone, multiply formats, all while guaranteeing total coherence across markets.
Why it’s inspiring: Brand-owned influencers address growing frustration: dependence on external creators. By internalizing the production of virtual personalities, brands build sustainable, profitable and adaptable content ecosystems. The AI avatar becomes an infinitely reusable asset, instantly adaptable to markets, campaigns and platforms.
Natura — AI at the service of environmental proof
The Brazilian brand Natura, awarded at Cannes Lions, developed an intelligent mapping system combining environmental data and AI to identify which tree species can be planted without destroying local biodiversity. This device becomes the narrative backbone of its campaigns: scientific proof, Natura explains how technology helps protect the Amazon while supporting local communities.
Rather than multiplying vague promises, Natura uses AI to document, measure and certify its real impact. Data becomes content. The intelligent mapping becomes campaign argument. AI is no longer a tech gadget; it becomes a credible ally of impact communication.
Why it’s inspiring: Natura turns AI into a tool of legitimacy. Instead of asserting its commitment, it proves it scientifically. The case is exportable: any brand with an environmental or social objective can use AI to document its action and transform data into convincing storytelling. AI becomes the guarantor of credibility.
What this means for us
These three cases reveal the same logic: the virtual influencer is no longer a substitute, it becomes a strategic asset. Aitana generates massive engagement with a young and diverse audience. Brand-owned influencers allow brands to reclaim editorial and economic control. Natura proves that AI can embody credible engagement.
Effective AI marketing no longer seeks to imitate humans to replace them; it creates new forms of influence that are more stable, more controllable, more profitable.
Three concrete paths: Test a virtual avatar for multi-country campaigns like Aitana, create a proprietary character to guarantee coherence and availability like brand-owned influencers, use AI to document scientifically your engagements like Natura
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Sources :
Aitana (Spain)
https://www.storyclash.com/blog/en/virtual-influencers/
Nova and the brand-owned influencers (Europe)
https://www.flatlineagency.com/blog/influencer-marketing-trends-in-2025/
Natura (Brazil)