The Amul Girl has been India's most enduring brand mascot for over five decades. With her polka-dotted dress and cheeky commentary on current affairs, she's become a cultural icon that transcends advertising. But as artificial intelligence reshapes the marketing landscape, a new breed of brand representatives is emerging.
Virtual Influencers powered by sophisticated algorithms, designed to engage audiences 24/7 without the constraints of human limitations. The question isn't whether AI avatars can coexist with traditional mascots, but whether they're set to replace them entirely.
The shift is already underway. From Lil Miquela's collaborations with global fashion brands to closer home, Manforce's launch of Myra Kapoor as their virtual brand ambassador, companies are increasingly betting on digital personalities that blur the line between fiction and reality. These aren't static cartoon characters making witty observations from billboards. They're interactive, evolving entities capable of holding conversations, adapting to trends in real-time, and maintaining a consistent presence across every digital touchpoint a brand occupies.
What makes this transition particularly significant is the fundamental change in how brands approach audience engagement. Traditional mascots like the Amul Girl, Air India's Maharaja, or Vodafone's ZooZoos were created for a broadcast era. They are clever, memorable characters that appear in campaigns and are a crucial part of popular culture now. Virtual influencers, by contrast, are built for the always-on, conversational nature of social media, where audiences expect constant interaction rather than periodic appearances.
The Control Factor
For brands navigating an increasingly complex media environment where a single off-script moment can trigger a crisis, the appeal of complete control is undeniable. Shradha Agarwal, Co-founder and Global CEO of Grapes Worldwide, points to this as a fundamental advantage. "AI influencers can become the next brand mascot very easily because we need faces of people who can continuously engage with the audience," she explains. "They are completely in control with you. You don't have to bother about what they say, how they say it, how many retakes they take."
This level of control extends beyond crisis management. Traditional brand ambassadors (whether celebrities or human influencers) come with schedules, contracts, and the unpredictability of human behaviour. They might sign with competing brands, get embroiled in controversies, or simply become unavailable when a brand needs to respond to a trending moment. Virtual influencers eliminate these variables entirely. They're always available, never off-message, and their every word can be carefully calibrated to align with brand values.
The financial model differs substantially as well. Agarwal highlights that "the investment is continuous. You don't invest a large lump sum amount in one go and then you're looking forward to see that you have to again invest with them or take their approvals and everything before you want to take it live." Instead of negotiating renewal contracts with celebrity endorsers or managing relationships with multiple human influencers, brands can make smaller, ongoing investments in refining and deploying their virtual representatives across campaigns.
Technology Meets Storytelling
The technological capabilities have evolved dramatically. Himanshu Goel, Co-Founder and CMO of Companionz AI, a platform specializing in AI-driven brand personalities, emphasizes that the medium shouldn't overshadow the message. "When it comes to content, I always think of story and consumer first rather than how it is generated," he notes. "If an AI-generated influencer is relatable and relevant for the brand and audience, then it will do well."
What AI fundamentally changes is the economics and scale of content creation. Goel explains, "The rules of content generation have been changed forever with AI. Now, any brand can create million-dollar ads with realistic characters at a fraction of the cost. Budget is no longer a limitation; now the battle will be fought on the level of story and creativity." This democratization means that smaller brands and startups can now deploy sophisticated brand personalities that would have previously required massive production budgets and celebrity endorsement deals.
But technology alone doesn't guarantee success. The graveyard of failed virtual influencers is littered with aesthetically impressive creations that failed to connect because they lacked authentic storytelling. Goel draws a direct parallel to traditional mascots to illustrate this point. "Amul girl works because she is always commenting on the latest trend in a witty manner," he observes. The character's longevity isn't just about cute illustration, but about consistent, relevant, and culturally attuned commentary that resonates with audiences.
The authenticity challenge becomes even more acute with hyper-realistic virtual influencers. "AI influencers can come off as inauthentic because of being artificial," Goel acknowledges. "So the story and content have to be authentic and transparent with the audience." This creates an interesting paradox: the more realistic a virtual influencer appears, the higher the risk of falling into the uncanny valley, where audiences feel unsettled rather than engaged. Brands must navigate this carefully, either embracing the artificial nature transparently or investing heavily in making their virtual personalities feel genuinely relatable.
Evolution Beyond Symbolism
Joy Chatterjee, Vice President and Head of Sales and Marketing for Consumer Division at Mankind Pharma, offers perspective from a brand that's actively deployed this strategy. Mankind's Manforce launched Myra Kapoor as a virtual brand ambassador specifically designed to facilitate conversations around intimate topics. "AI-generated virtual influencers can be seen as a modern evolution of brand mascots," Chatterjee explains. "Like mascots, they represent the brand's personality and values, but they do so in a way that feels more relevant to today's audience."
The distinction he draws is crucial. Traditional mascots were symbols. Instantly recognizable visual shorthand for brand identity. Virtual influencers are characters with depth, capable of actual dialogue. "They can talk about real topics, reflect changing moods, and adapt to different campaigns without being limited by time, geography, or availability," Chatterjee notes.
For sensitive categories like sexual wellness, where conversations are often constrained by social taboos, a virtual personality can navigate these discussions with carefully calibrated openness. "In the case of Manforce, Myra is not just a symbol but a character designed to start open conversations around intimacy, desire, and relationships. This makes her more interactive and relatable than traditional mascots."
Chatterjee identifies flexibility as perhaps the greatest creative advantage. "They can be designed to fit different themes, seasons, and campaigns, and their personality can evolve over time while staying true to the brand," he explains. A virtual influencer can appear in Mumbai one moment and Delhi the next, adapt their appearance for Diwali or Holi, or shift tone to match different audience segments. All of that without the logistical complexity of coordinating human talent. "They also allow brands to explore sensitive topics in a controlled and thoughtful way," he adds, particularly relevant for categories that face regulatory scrutiny or cultural sensitivities.
Yet Chatterjee is equally clear-eyed about the limitations. "Since they are not real people, brands need to work harder to make them feel authentic and emotionally relatable," he acknowledges. Building genuine connections requires more than sophisticated graphics; it demands "careful storytelling and responsible use." The long-term success of virtual influencers will depend on whether brands can sustain audience interest beyond the initial novelty and create emotional resonance that translates into brand loyalty.
According to a 2024 report by Influencer Marketing Hub, the virtual influencer market is expected to reach $30 billion globally by 2027, with Asia-Pacific markets, including India, showing particularly strong adoption rates. The same report indicates that posts by virtual influencers generate engagement rates nearly three times higher than those by human influencers in certain demographics, particularly among Gen Z audiences who've grown up with digital-first interactions.
The Hybrid Future
The data suggests we're not witnessing a complete replacement but rather an expansion of the mascot concept. A 2023 study by MediaSense India found that while 68% of urban millennials and Gen Z consumers were comfortable engaging with virtual brand personalities, 73% still valued the nostalgia and cultural connection of traditional mascots like the Amul Girl. The two approaches serve different functions: traditional mascots offer cultural continuity and emotional anchoring, while virtual influencers provide interactive engagement and adaptability.
What's becoming clear is that the fundamentals of effective brand representation haven't changed, even as the formats evolve. Whether it's the Amul Girl's topical humour or an AI avatar's personalized interactions, success still hinges on relevance, consistency, and authentic connection with audience values. The technology has simply expanded the toolkit available to brands, allowing them to be more present, more responsive, and more targeted in their engagement.
View this post on Instagram
As Agarwal notes, "Any which way we have become so digital in our nature that we are looking forward to continuously engage with some face or the other on digital mediums." Virtual influencers are evolving the concept of brand mascots for an audience whose primary reality is increasingly digital. The brands that will succeed in this landscape are those that recognize virtual influencers not as gimmicks but as strategic assets requiring the same investment in character development, storytelling, and cultural relevance that made the Amul Girl an icon.
The future likely belongs to brands nimble enough to deploy both traditional and virtual mascots strategically, understanding that in a fragmented media landscape, different audiences respond to different forms of brand personality. The question isn't which approach wins, but how brands can orchestrate multiple forms of representation into a coherent brand identity that resonates across generations and platforms.