Rise of the synthetic celebrity: Superplastic embodies a new generation of influencers, and they’re unreal
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Behind Dayzee and her friends is Superplastic, a hype machine of a company that manufactures these synthetic celebrities, along with their elaborate backstories (Janky and Guggimon are charming anarchists who might burn the world to the ground, if not for their love of streetwear and haute couture). “We’re an experimental character design studio, and we’re also a character universe,” says founder Paul Budnitz.
The Burlington, Vermont-based company’s origin story, much like its graffiti-inspired, punk-rock edgy aesthetic, is rooted in subverting expectations. And in some ways, it’s hard to nail down exactly what Superplastic is—but the best explanation might be a Disney- or Marvel-like empire of intellectual property. At its heart, it was born from Budnitz’s love of art and desire to build a character universe that he could keep expanding over time. ...
See the full story here: https://www.fastcompany.com/90850112/synthetic-celebrity-virtual-influencer-web3-superplastic-amazon?fbclid=IwAR1M-Krt8Tjg0Vcd13nJ-g07mvLx-3RP36DNHsp82F6ZEw7E68C4Ear31II
