New Zealand Telco Creates AI Clone of Happiest Customer to Cut Advertising Costs

While other brands are paying for expensive celebrity spokespeople, or forking out endorsement cash to fake online influencers, Skinny Mobile has used AI to digitally clone their happiest customer. The customer, who was one of nearly 400 who applied for the role, will now become the AI face of the brand’s advertising.

The campaign sees Skinny taking customer loyalty and brand advocacy to the next level by digitally cloning a real customer using AI to become its new AI-created brand ambassador. A brand ambassador that they can then use to make low-cost ads. 

Hundreds of customers submitted video applications for the Skinny for Life competition, which challenged entrants to prove they were Skinny’s happiest customer. 

Liz Wright, a long-time Skinny customer, was crowned the winner, signing her likeness to Skinny for use in their advertising. 

For Liz, the decision was simple. “When they told me they wanted to clone me, I couldn’t believe I was the chosen one. It’s an incredible opportunity to represent a brand I love – and have been a happy customer of for over a decade now – in such a unique way. I’ve always waned to be part of the Skinny team, and now I get to be – just in AI form."

The launch 45” created with Lex Hodge of Finch Company sees Liz taking the form of newsreaders reporting her own creation. But, that’s just the beginning for how Liz will represent Skinny, with OOH, OLV, social and radio to come. 

Creature Post gathered an extensive range of physical image data from Liz – including a video shoot, 360 degree body scan, voice recording, and stills capture. The data serves as the foundation for a diverse array of characterisations and executions, pushing the boundaries of AI-generated performance.

By integrating AI tools into a bespoke VFX pipeline, Creature Post took on the technical challenge of crafting a consistently recognisable hero AI-created brand ambassador. Leveraging the latest advancements in lip-sync and voice replication technologies, we can now bring Liz to life in all sorts of scenarios, styles, and fantastical worlds that the creative team envisions or the media placement demands – all in collaboration with Liz.

This project exemplifies the exciting future of AI-enhanced storytelling, removing technical barriers to extend creative possibilities. 

CCO Simon Vicars said, “Liz can shapeshift into all sorts of characters, to speak to any audience we want to target. She is the Terminator 2 of brand ambassadors. The ultimate low-cost advertising machine. This is another exciting chapter of creative ingenuity for this great brand, all in the name of keeping prices low for customers. Liz loves Skinny, we love Liz, and we know New Zealand will, too."

Skinny’s brand lead, Emma Carpenter, said this one-of-a-kind partnership embodies what Skinny is all about. “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. We’re cutting advertising costs by digitally cloning our happiest customer."

Liz is now immortalised as a brand icon. Her image, dance moves and unmistakable laugh are now part of Skinny’s DNA. But don’t worry – Liz still gets to be herself in real life (and with a lifetime of Skinny mobile credit to boot).