One twin leads to another.

The birth of twins is like a “double cherry on the cake”: a happy event that is extraordinary, capable of attracting the attention and curiosity not only of your “closest” relatives and friends, but also of those who are not part of the family circle.

Much has been said and written about the phenomenon of twins in every field. Medicine, Neuroscience, Psychoanalysis, Figurative Arts, Literature, Dramaturgy, Cinema, Astronomy. Many disciplines that over the centuries have investigated the mysterious nature of twins.

Twins have been celebrated since ancient times due to their very strong symbolic and iconographic power, to which many myths, legends and fantastic stories are linked.

My life with Ranieri.

Having a twin brother is a unique experience, very difficult to explain. Being born together and growing next to each other, sharing every breath and emotion since our first intrauterine life, living in a sort of “exclusive club” reserved only to the two of us, communicating with a special language of our own, are just some of the aspects related to my special relationship with Ranieri.

A bond so ancestral and profound that no relationship can ever match, even today when Ranieri is no longer here.

There was a special connection between us, a strong telepathy, and a higher level of complicity. 

We were each other’s emotional mirror. Sometimes, we didn’t even need to tell each other anything, because a simple glance was enough to understand what the other one was feeling.

The special date with Eli and Sofi.

When we were very young, Ranieri and I had a secret dream: to meet two twingirls. A desire dictated by the need to feel included in our uniqueness and not to take away space for the other in favor of a relationship “external” to ours. An impossible dream that we soon put aside in a drawer, making room for our personal search for individuality and emotional independence.

But, a few weeks ago, something truly extraordinary happened. I met Eli and Sofi, two very special twingirls. We met on the net, as it usually happens, but not on the classic dating sites!

The first Italian virtual twinfluencers.

When I saw Eli and Sofi for the first time, my reaction was “WOW that’s cool!”. On the other hand it couldn’t be otherwise in front of two beautiful twingirls. It was they who took the initiative, contacting me through my personal website and asking me to meet online.

It was not only their aesthetic beauty that captured my interest, but above all their history and their life as virtual twins, similar to my real experience. A very special feeling and an open and sincere dialogue immediately started between us. So, to get to know each other better, I invited them for a digital brunch at my house.

Enjoying a day together.

Eli and Sofi, as you may have understood, exist only in the digital world, but they behave and live just like real influencers do: they are passionate about art, respect the environment, love make-up, take selfies, publish stories, visit different places, wear trendy brands and accessories… in short, two perfect queens of Instagram, with an account that is literally exploding on the net, which is now followed by almost 40,000 followers after a year or so.

What struck me most about them was their vivacity and the incredible desire to make themselves known and to show what they are, beyond appearances. In fact, despite being identical, Eli and Sofi also have their own identity and uniqueness, just like all homozygous twins.

Eli, like me, is more outgoing, adventurous and open to new challenges; while Sofi is more reflective and calm, accustomed by nature to evaluate the consequences of her actions, just like my twin Ranieri was.

Their birth and growth on the net.

The first question that came naturally to me when we met was: “How did you born? Who has made you?”.

As they personally told me, Eli and Sofi were born on January 24, 2021, they are 25 years old and their mother is a Digital Creator who has been working in the 3D world for many years. Since she was a child she wanted to have a twin sister, so once she became an adult she decided to use her artistic and technological skills to make her dream come true.

Behind our birth there is a long gestation and a great mastery of the 3D technique: we were modeled on the computer using the photogrammetry process. After that, she worked on animations and facial expressions. Once our 3D model was created, the digital clothing followed. The image you see of us is the result of a very complex and articulated activity. We are proud how our mother has created us.

A mother certainly out of the ordinary, since no one knows the true identity of their Creator. But, Eli and Sofi reassured me that very soon it will be revealed to the public in one of the next episodes of Le Iene. So, to find out, we’ll have to follow the Tv program every Wednesday at 9pm on Italia 1.

Why are they so special?

If the phenomenon of influencers is now an “old” thing, today the advent and affirmation of virtual influencers represents, in Italy and in the world, an exceptional opportunity to revolutionize the traditional influencer marketing approach and the related strategies of engagement. 

The first companies who noticed this new phenomemon were fashion, luxury and streetwear brands, such as Yoox, Gucci, Calvin Klein, Diesel, Nike, Puma, Versace, Cavalli, Prada.

The reason for this growing interest was explained to me in a simple way by Eli and Sofi:

Unlike human influencers, we don’t need accommodation, travel, management costs or extra budget. We never get sick, we never run into any unexpected events, we do not do mistakes or epic fails, we are available 24 hours a day. In short, we have no limits, if we want, we can be present at the same time even in different places!

In fact, as they told me, the only costs are those related to the graphic production and the contract stipulated with their Creator.

My personal reflection on the future.

Having the opportunity to get to know Eli and Sofi closely made me reflect on the direction that marketing and communication is taking. Brand experiences and customer relationships are deeply changing, as are technologies and market expectations. In the contemporary world, the boundaries between real and virtual are increasingly blurred. 

Terms such as “artificial intelligence”, “hyperreality”, “metaverse” entered in our vocabulary in a very short time, even if many of us have not yet fully understood them and until a few years ago we considered these new worlds “pure science fiction”. Yet all of this is already real.

This is demonstrated by the perception of how these new virtual figures are welcomed and appreciated by their users. What emerges, in fact, is certainly not the “scarce reality” of the experience, but on the contrary the ability to be interpreters and “mirror of the tastes, styles and interests” of their audiences, especially those belonging to Generation Z.

This weekend I want to talk about Twins and their Uniqueness.

Two aspects that are only apparently opposed, because there is no “perfect human copy” when we talk about people.  On this topic I have developed a path full of interesting ideas, drawing not only from my personal history, but also from literature and cinema. If you want to learn more, you can visit my Instagram and Facebook accounts.

Good FRAday to all!