Barbie Doll’s Virtual Friend Becomes Real for the First Time

Barbie is excited to partner with one of the virtual world's most iconic fashion models/influencers, noonoouri, in this unique 2-doll set from Mattel Creations.

Noonoouri is an AI-created influencer with over 400,000 followers on Instagram, and is also a singer who is currently signed to the record label Warner.

About The Virtual Influencer

Instagram Bio: digital character. activist. vegan. furfree at IMG Models. Exclusive China representation of Vogue China & Vogue Me.

Identifies as: female

First Appearance: February 1, 2018

Originally From: Munich, Germany

More info

Noonoouri is a cartoony, 19-year-old fashionista hailing from Munich, Germany. She has worked with most of the top brands in the fashion industry and continues to wow consumers with her unique look. Noonoouri balances her platform between social good and promotion. She's vegan, advocates for sustainable fashion, and refuses to wear furs while making countless cameos with fashion brands all around the world. The creator of Noonoouri has said the primary goal is to provide entertainment while informing audiences in a new medium.

Noonoouri is the creation of Joerg Zuber, founder of creative agency Opium Effect.

@barbiepedia CGI influencer and fashion model noonoouri takes a physical form for the first time, while Barbie evolves into the chic style of a virtual avatar in our game-changing collaboration. Get our Barbie x noonoouri Dolls 2-Pack on September 13 at 9am PT at Mattel Creations #Barbie #MattelCreations #noonoouri #noonoouriai ♬ sonido original - BarbiePedia

Noonoouri struck a deal with Warner through the track "Dominoes," a collaboration with German DJ Ale Farben. Since its release in early September, the song has already been played over 100,000 times on YouTube and 351,000 times on Spotify. This influencer was created by designer Jörg Zuber, and her songs were written by a group that included Ale Farben and Serhat Sakin in production. According to the credits on Spotify, the song was written by Andrew Bullimore, France Zimmer, Frederick Shacks, Jenson Vaughn and one of the producers, Seikin. For the avatar's voice, the creators adopted the voice of a real singer but made changes to give it a unique touch. According to the Telegraph, royalties will be split 50/50 between Farben, Warner and the producers.

Zuber, the man behind the new virtual pop star, told the outlet: "It felt like a dream come true (...) Since I was five years old, I always wanted to share my dreams and ideas. I thought like that," he said. He also added that Warner approached him to "propose making music."

The designer explained that behind the character of noonoouri there is a team of 15 people and that the success of the fictional character lies in "creating jobs for real people." Still, the growing presence of artificial intelligence in the music industry is a cause for concern, and the British Musicians' Union is calling for stricter regulation of the new technology.

Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in an interview with the New York Times that the song “Heart on My Sleeve” features many famous artists such as Drake and The Weeknd. He explained that it will feature an AI simulation and said that the content is “definitely worthy.” It is a Grammy Award because it is a song written by a human. However, in a video he uploaded, Mason stated. Although the vocals were written by a human creator, the vocals were not legally obtained or authorized by the label or the artist, and this song is not commercially available.

This situation is due to a technical problem, not artificial intelligence itself. This comes after the Academy introduced new rules that allow AI to be used as a tool in songs, but only the person who created the song will be eligible for nomination. “Make no mistake, the Academy exists solely to support, protect and represent human artists and creators,” Mason stressed.

The user behind this fictional song goes by the pseudonym Ghostwriter977. Heart on My Sleeve features the composition, lyrics, and imitation of the artist's voice in a way that is as convincing as if the artist was actually participating.

Streaming platforms such as Amazon, SoundCloud, Tidal, Deezer, Spotify, and Apple Music initially attributed the song to artists Drake and The Weeknd. However, when it was revealed that the song was created using artificial intelligence, Universal Music requested its removal from all of these platforms.

@barbiepedia Can you feel the excitement in the air? Tomorrow, we’re unveiling something you won’t want to miss. Get ready! #noonoouri #Barbie #EpicCollab #StayTuned ♬ sonido original - BarbiePedia

Physical Transformation

Becoming a real doll for the first time, noonoouri wears a pink ombre gown created with ruffles of tulle and pleated organza, and a pink satin mini dress underneath.

@barbiepedia Rocking the stripes that started it all! OG Barbie, forever a mood. via noonoouri #noonoouri #Barbie #ClassicVibes #NNBarbieTribute #ReleaseMe ♬ sonido original - BarbiePedia

Virtual Transformation

Taking the style of a digital avatar, Barbie doll is fierce in a pink foil-fabric power suit, layered over a silvery body suit with corset-like detailing.

Find more information in the Barbiepedia catalog