SheerLuxe launched its first AI influencer yesterday and the negative feedback was so extensive, its team has taken the day off. Nobody said integrating AI would be easy and there are many learnings from this episode that brands should take on board.
Let’s go back to the start. SheerLuxe posted a Carousel introducing its “AI-enhanced” new fashion and lifestyle editor, Reem. This revealed she has a dedicated Instagram account and likes salad for lunch. The SheerLuxe audience were not amused, leaving hundreds of critical comments. Objections ranged from the absurdity of how it had positioned Reem (lunch, for a character that doesn’t exist?) to concerns on how the AI represented women of colour. The brand has previously been criticised for lack of diversity.
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Creators and journalists quickly weighed in to the debate. Author and podcaster Nicole Ocran was incredulous, commenting: “Is Reem supposed to be a virtually created woman of colour?” Meanwhile, ex-Nike and Mr Porter brand guru Dan Rookwood deemed the decision-making process behind launching Reem as “problematic”.
SheerLuxe is not the first business to experience its audience heartily rejecting AI. Marks & Spencer and PrettyLittleThing both released virtual influencers in 2022 and both dropped the projects within days. Expecting consumers to suspend disbelief and engage with a persona-driven storyline instead of a human being is foolish in the UK market.
However, had Reem been introduced differently, SheerLuxe could easily have been the brand to push things forward. Here’s three things businesses can learn from how this has played out.
1. Use clear language to launch AI innovations
Reem was described as being “AI-enhanced”. Perhaps SheerLuxe thought this softer, more ambiguous language would make the introduction less jarring, but instead it caused frustration, with many people calling for clarity. Is Reem a real person or a virtual creation? This also suggested the brand itself lacked confidence in this launch.
2. Give AI influencers a strong purpose
Reem offers no benefit to the SheerLuxe consumer. She has been introduced as simply another editor, suggesting the brand chose to create a woman based on unattainable beauty ideals rather than hiring a real human being. Why create an unrelateable AI persona when the personalities of the real women at SheerLuxe are its greatest strength? Had Reem been developed as an AI-driven personal shopping assistant which lived on the brand’s website and was going to help its audience find better products faster, the benefit would have been clear. The reaction may have also been more open-minded.
3. AI innovations in the UK work best when consumers have a point of interaction
CORQ’s data analysis of influencer content about AI has repeatedly proved audiences are open to personally experiencing this technology. However, they are not ready to suspend disbelief to the point that they will be directed by a virtual persona. Is the SheerLuxe audience going to buy products based on the recommendation of a bot that cannot experience them? It’s unlikely, to say the least.
Before launching any AI innovation, brands must question their logic and be very clear on how this brings value to their consumer or risk a similar revolt. See my TikTok analysis on SheerLuxe’s AI influencer here.
By Sara McCorquodale, CEO and founder of CORQ. Picture credit: SheerLuxe via Instagram.
