LSN : News : 02 : 04 : 25

Skinny Mobile clones its happiest customer to star in AI ads

Get the Skinny by Skinny Mobile, New Zealand

New Zealand – Telecommunications company Skinny Mobile has digitally cloned its happiest customer, Liz Wright, turning her into an AI-powered brand ambassador for a new campaign created by Colenso BBDO.

Wright, who won a nationwide contest, will appear in Skinny’s ads for the next two years via AI-generated avatars that use her likeness, voice and gestures. In exchange, she receives free mobile service for life.

‘Liz can shape-shift into all sorts of characters, to speak to any audience we want to target,’ said Simon Vicars, chief creative officer at Colenso BBDO. ‘She is the Terminator 2 of brand ambassadors. The ultimate low-cost advertising machine.’

The ads, which range from humorous to surreal, aim to showcase the brand’s low-cost ethos. ‘Skinny’s brand promise is that we’ll do anything to keep prices low and customers happy, so that’s exactly what we’ve done,’ said Emma Carpenter, Skinny’s brand lead. ‘We’re cutting advertising costs by digitally cloning our happiest customer.’

By using a real person in the campaign, the elastic brand hopes to make its use of AI feel less dystopian and more disarmingly fun. For more insights on the future of artificial intelligence, read our macrotrend report, The Synthocene Era.

Strategic opportunity

As AI becomes ubiquitous, consumers will gravitate towards brands that make tech feel human and ethical. Could you use real people as the foundation for AI interactions to avoid the ‘uncanny valley’ and build emotional trust?

Danish grocery chain introduces new hack for boycotting US products

Denmark – Danish grocery giant Salling Group is introducing a black star symbol on price tags to highlight European brands.

Rolling out across 1,700 stores in Denmark, Germany and Poland, the move is in response to growing consumer demand for non-US products amid ongoing trade tensions.

In a LinkedIn post, Anders Hagh, Salling Group CEO, emphasised that the initiative offers greater transparency, allowing customers to consciously support European-owned brands. ‘We are making it easier to buy European brands,’ he wrote.

While American goods remain available, the black star subtly nudges shoppers towards regional alternatives (source: Fast Company).

Our New Codes of Value report explores how a perfect storm of sociocultural, economic and technological forces is challenging the processes by which people attribute value. Regional and national origin becoming a selling point for European brands is an example of how these new value codes are beginning to manifest as consumers increasingly vote with their wallets.

Muffato Go in collaboration with Sensei, Brazil

Strategic opportunity

As consumers seek to align purchases with their values, retailers can drive loyalty with transparent labelling, ethical sourcing and clear brand ownership disclosure to meet the growing demand for sociopolitically conscious consumption

Stat: India’s digital media surpasses tv for the first time

Unplugged, photography by Pasco Photography, UK

India – Indians spent a staggering 1.1 trillion hours on their smartphones in 2024, averaging five hours daily, as an affordable internet fuels the rise of digital platforms like Instagram and Netflix, according to EY’s latest entertainment report.

For the first time, digital channels surpassed television to become the largest segment of India’s £22.6bn (INR2.5 trillion, $29.2bn, €27bn) media and entertainment industry. Nearly 70% of mobile screen time was spent on social media, gaming and video streaming, making India the world’s biggest market for global tech giants such as Meta and Amazon, and local tycoons such as Mukesh Ambani.

‘The country has reached the digital inflection point,’ says Ashish Pherwani, EY India’s media and entertainment sector leader, predicting industry consolidation and new business models ahead.

While Indians rank third in daily smartphone usage behind Indonesia and Brazil, their combined screen time exceeds that of any other country. As digital consumption reshapes entertainment, businesses are racing to capitalise on this massive and growing market.

Explore our Gen Z in India report, in which we analyse how this cohort are redefining tradition – blending cultural heritage with global influences while embracing sustainability, inclusivity and individuality.

Strategic opportunity

Tap into India’s lucrative media market with hyper-localised content, mobile-first commerce and social media-driven shopping, using regional languages, seamless payments and platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp