"Sponsorships Over 100, Zero Scandal Concerns"…Virtual Human Rozy Ahead of Netflix Debut

In August last year, ROZY, Korea's first virtual influencer produced by Sidus Studio X [Photo from Instagram capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Virtual influencer Rozy is about to make her debut on Netflix.

Rozy, produced by Sidus Studio X in August last year, is Korea's first virtual influencer and has made a mark by appearing in various advertisements.

Baek Seung-yeop, CEO of Sidus Studio X and Rozy's creator and planner, revealed the possibility of Rozy appearing in a Netflix drama during an appearance on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 10th.

CEO Baek said, "She will soon appear in areas beyond advertising," adding, "Currently, there are talks about her playing a minor role in a Netflix drama."

To this end, Rozy's voice is also being prepared. They are working on finding a voice tone that suits Rozy well, as well as converting text to speech.

Until now, Rozy's activities have been limited to solo appearances in advertisements and on social media. However, with technological advancements, CEO Baek explained that they are aiming to expand beyond advertisements to movies, dramas, and even variety shows.

CEO Baek explained that they use a method called "digital double," where they hire a body model suitable for each situation and then composite Rozy's 3D-created image on top of it.

According to CEO Baek, Rozy filmed two advertisements just this week. In only two months, she signed exclusive contracts for eight advertisements and received over 100 sponsorship offers.

CEO Baek projected, "We have achieved the targeted revenue, and if things go well by the end of this year, I think Rozy can generate more than 1 billion KRW in revenue."

In August of last year, Sidus Studio X produced Korea's first virtual influencer, Rozy (ROZY).
[Photo by Instagram capture]

Regarding Rozy's secret to success, CEO Baek pointed out her freedom from various scandals. CEO Baek said, "In the past, issues like drunk driving after signing advertisement contracts were problematic, but now, problems like school violence before debut are more common. Sometimes, dramas that have already been filmed cannot be aired, which greatly affects advertisers' trust."

He emphasized, "The biggest advantage of virtual influencers is that they have zero scandals."

Moreover, unlike the cyber singer Adam who appeared in the past, Rozy can communicate with fans in real-time through social media, which can give fans the illusion of interacting with a real model.

As virtual humans continue to achieve great success, some express concerns that real human jobs might decrease. In response, CEO Baek believes that virtual influencers and virtual humans will actually create more jobs.

In the interview, he said, "The realm of virtual humans is a new area that did not exist before, so I think it is the creation of a new industrial sector. Our Rozy team is also growing, and there are more than four people working as Rozy models."

He added, "The market using virtual influencers is growing overseas, and if we do not take the lead in Korea, when the metaverse space opens, these fields might be taken over by foreign countries."

Regarding the potential misuse such as fraud or sexual crimes, he drew a clear line, saying, "It is not a problem of virtual humans but the fault of people who misuse them."

Meanwhile, Sidus plans to debut a three-member male idol group composed of virtual humans soon.