- Global creator agency, Billion Dollar Boy, launches Muse, a new innovation unit exploring the emerging technologies shaping the creator economy – including generative AI
- The launch follows new independent research revealing the popularity of generative AI with three in five consumers (60%) preferring creator content designed using the technology and four in five creators (81%) reporting more favorable audience engagement
- Three retail brands trial Muse with successful pilot partnerships to launch their first generative AI-led creator content
- Muse is the first major launch from Becky Owen, former Head of Creator Innovations at Meta
New York, US, November 16 2023 – Global creator agency, Billion Dollar Boy (BDB), announces the launch of Muse, a new innovation unit exploring the impact of emerging technologies shaping the creator economy – including generative AI.
Muse is purpose driven to understand the reality behind the hype surrounding new technology; to harness its potential and protect brands and the creator community from the boom and bust cycle of new innovations.
It follows a six month investigative programme powered by new, independent research and brand and creator partnerships designed to explore how generative AI can work with human creativity to deliver brand impact and support the creator community.
New research reveals popularity of AI in the creator economy
Muse is informed by new, independent research by BDB surveying more than 6,000 consumers, creators and senior marketing decision makers across the US and UK. The research investigates industry opinions of generative AI in the creator economy and its future, and reveals the strong popularity of the technology, including news that:
- Three in five consumers (60%) prefer creator content designed using generative AI, illustrating just how much this new style content stands out in-feed and is getting cut through
- More than four in five (81%) creators report more favorable audience engagement on content designed using the technology
Muse launches first generative AI creator campaigns
The launch also follows pilot partnerships with three household retail brands, including two global luxury fashion brands, who have successfully launched their first generative AI-led creator content.
The partnerships involve collaborations with several international AI artists including, Elmo Mistiaen, Jo Ann, Fashion Coupids, Shanikwa Dvorkin and Anastasia Rogozhina.
Muse is continuing to expand its list of global creative partners to explore new creative tools that help brands stand out with original content.
Meta’s former Head of Creator Innovations leads Muse team
Muse is the first major launch from Becky Owen, Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer at BDB, following her appointment earlier this year from Meta, where she was Head of Creator Innovations and Solutions for Europe. Muse is also led by CEO and co-founder, Thomas Walters, the acting Group Product Lead for Muse; and supported by a growing department including Business Lead, Maxime Rozencwajg, and Creative Lead, Meghan McKenna.
As well as exploring generative AI, Muse is also investigating the potential of other technologies including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Influencers (VI) and more, as well as future technologies to be discovered.
Muse is a response to growing brand interest in exploring new technologies within the creator economy. It follows successful campaign partnerships with BDB including: launching Heineken Silver in the metaverse; announcing L’Oreal Garnier’s new Vitamin C Super Serums range with the brand’s first ever Instagram Augmented Reality (AR) filter; and promoting H&M’s new digital wardrobe with its first ever Virtual Influencer (VI) campaign.
Thomas Walters, CEO and Co-founder of Billion Dollar Boy, comments: “Our research shows the growing popularity of generative AI in the creator economy with a majority of consumers expressing a preference and creators reporting better engagements.
“Brands can seize the opportunity to meet this new demand by embracing generative AI and exploring other emerging technologies. As with all new industry innovations, the first mover often reaps the greatest rewards – whether through creating eye-catching campaign content or gaining learnings to improve future activations.
“At BDB we recognise the profound influence technology has on the work we do and how we do it. That’s why we’ve spent six months identifying how generative AI can enhance our business operations, increasing efficiency and effectiveness both across our teams and for our clients. Muse is a formalization of our commitment to always being curious and exploring the potential of new innovations.”
Becky Owen, Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer of Billion Dollar Boy, adds: “New technology doesn’t come with a rule book. As an industry, we must therefore commit time and resources to better understand its impact on both the creator economy and the community and to explore its capabilities – rather than simply adopting innovations just to be on trend.
“I’m proud to launch Muse, a new unit designed specifically to unpick the reality of these new innovations from the hype that surrounds them. Investigative research and extensive real-world partnerships with brands and creators are helping us to lift the lid on the power of generative AI and other formative technology shaping the industry. What we’ve found is that when it’s applied conscientiously, it can supercharge creativity, empower creators and deliver impressive results for brands.”
About Billion Dollar Boy
Billion Dollar Boy (BDB) is a global creative agency for the influencer age, using industry-leading tech solutions to deliver integrated, creator-led advertising and end-to-end campaign management.
Founded in 2014 by Edward East, alongside co-founders Thomas Walters and Permele Doyle, Billion Dollar Boy was among the first global influencer agencies and now has offices in London, New York and New Orleans.
Since its inception, BDB has partnered with some of the world’s leading brands – including Heineken, King, Nintendo, PepsiCo and L’Oréal – connecting them with more than 10,000 vetted content creators and reaching over 10 billion users globally.
BDB client campaigns have been awarded at the Cannes Lions, Influencer Marketing Awards, Webby Awards, The Drum Awards and Adweek.
Methodology
In November 2023, Censuswide was commissioned by Billion Dollar Boy to execute a study of 4,000 nationally representative consumers (aged 16+), 1,000 content creators and 1,000 senior marketing decision makers in the UK and US. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.
