Project 09 – Virtual Characters
Codename: Breakthrough
Cygnus: Virtual Character PR and Cross-Community Reach
By co-creating the virtual character NEO and an immersive narrative world, we helped a Gen Z streetwear brand reach a mainstream audience and lead the conversation around metaverse fashion. Collaboration presales exceeded projections by 300%.
Project overview
Project overview
Client
Cygnus
Gen Z
Streetwear
VIRTUAL IP
NEO
Co-Creating a Virtual Idol
A Cyberpunk Persona
STRATEGY
Reaching Beyond the Core
From Anime Subculture
to the Mainstream
Core PR Objectives
Credibility Within the Core Community
Establish the brand as a true insider among anime and esports audiences
Breaking Through Cultural Boundaries
Use a virtual character to spark public conversation and take the brand from niche to mainstream
Commercial Conversion
Increase social conversation and preorder conversion for new releases
Challenge
Challenges & Insights
The Subculture Barrier
Gen Z audiences are increasingly indifferent to—and sometimes actively put off by—traditional celebrity endorsements. With competition in streetwear intensifying, standing out on cool factor alone has become difficult.
A poorly handled virtual-idol campaign can easily provokeThe Subculture Barriera backlash from core anime fans.
Audience Insight
The Qingmei Future team found that Gen Z's enthusiasm for virtual characters is rooted in"a consistent persona" and "an immersive narrative world"。
They reject heavy-handed endorsements and embrace collaborations with a soul.
The Strategic Breakthrough
The PR opportunity: approach a brand collaboration as"a meeting of narrative worlds", allowing the character's brand choices to become part of their personal evolution, rather than a commercial endorsement.
Communications strategy
Communications strategy
Character Co-Creation and Digital Storytelling
We advised the client to move beyond signing an existing virtual idol and instead"co-create a virtual character of their own"—codename NEO。
The campaign centered on livestreaming NEO's creation, awakening and style choices, making the character's story the launch event.
By inviting audiences to follow NEO's development from the beginning, we built an emotional connection and made the brand a natural part of the character's story.
The Qingmei Future Advantage: Worldbuilding
Worldbuilding
Worldbuilding
We gave NEO a fully developed backstory—a character from a cyberpunk city searching for a sense of identity—so that wearing Cygnus felt like a natural expression of the story.
Motion Design
Precision-Crafted Motion
Drawing on Qingmei Future's expertise in digital media art, we created cinematic virtual livestreams and CG campaign films with a level of visual craft and aesthetic distinction that set the brand apart.
design concept
We designed a virtual being with a fully formed personality and a story that could evolve. The brand became a meaningful part of that life, with a role grounded in the character's world.
EXECUTION
Execution highlights
NEO Awakens
Virtual Launch
A Live Virtual Event on Bilibili, Powered by Real-Time Motion Capture
Design Highlights:
A virtual livestream environment with a distinctive cyberpunk aesthetic, created for NEO
A showcase of collaborative digital fashion designed by Qingmei Future, released alongside its physical counterparts
Animation-film-quality visual effects, camera work and scene transitions that set a new benchmark for the category
Shaping the Conversation
Virtual Identity
#MyVirtualPersona# Sparks Conversation
We launched the conversation on Weibo and Bilibili, inviting key opinion leaders to explore the relationship between virtual identity and real-world style.
Qingmei Future created dedicated social accounts for NEO, with first-person posts and direct fan interaction that made the character feel present and real.
Communications Mix
Connecting Communities
Core Community
Bilibili / AcFun
Live "Cross-Dimensional" Linkups with Leading Virtual Creators
News Media
Weibo / Douyin
Tech and fashion media coverage of the technical breakthrough
Male Audiences
Hupu / Esports
High-Impact CG Films
A tailored approach across platforms built credibility within the core community while extending the campaign's reach to mainstream audiences.
Results
Measurable outcomes
400 Million
Hashtag Views
Total Weibo Topic Views Surpassed
300%
Presales Above Projections
Growth in Presales of the Physical Clothing Collaboration
Peak Livestream Performance
Trending on Bilibili
The virtual launch reached No. 1 on Bilibili's trending chart that evening
Social Growth
500,000 Followers
Followers Gained Across NEO's Dedicated Social Accounts in One Week
NFT SALES
Sold Out in 1 Minute
Time Taken for the Collaborative Digital Fashion NFTs to Sell Out
POSITIONING
Metaverse Streetwear
Earned the PR high ground and won recognition from Gen Z
Methodology
Our Approach
PR principles for virtual IP
1. Co-create, don’t endorse:Create an original IP rather than sign an existing idol to build distinctiveness
2. Integrate the world:Integrate the brand into the character’s story rather than relying on a forced commercial endorsement
3. Keep the character consistent:Preserve the virtual character’s personality and behavioral logic
4. Make storytelling participatory:Let users witness the IP’s growth and build an emotional connection
A strategy for reaching beyond the core audience
Start with the core community:Establish credibility with the anime community
Target by audience:Tailor content and communications to different audiences
Cinematic production:Set an industry benchmark with exceptional visual quality
Connect digital and physical:Launch digital fashion (NFTs) alongside physical apparel
