There is a tendency for many brands to incorporate themselves into the lifestyle of influencers. However, one type of influencers that is standing out are the virtual ones, who have managed to empathize with the public and anthropomorphize their image with the brands they sponsor. This research aims to know how brands connect emotionally with their audience through the anthropomorphization of virtual influencers. Being the case study, the virtual influencer Lil Miquela. For this, a qualitative methodology was used through in-depth interviews with followers of this influencer. The main findings show that the virtual influencer generates interest in following her, as well as in wanting to have a life similar to hers in conjunction with the products and brands she uses. In that sense, brands could bet on incorporating virtual influencers as a tool within their advertising campaigns.

The most renowned brands worldwide incorporate initiatives in their business approach that seek equality between genders in society. Nonetheless, brands in their advertising campaigns, gender remains stereotyped in the roles men and women play, which can be considered harmful to society and therefore unethical. Such discrepancy appears even in the same intervention generated by advertising specialists who define and design the communication of these brands. Therefore, this study seeks to identify the arguments used by Peruvian advertising professionals to justify the use of gender role stereotypes within the advertising discourse from an ethical perspective. A qualitative approach was selected as the research method for this study. In-depth interviews with 16 professional advertisers from different areas in charge of producing this type of communication. The lack of knowledge about the a...