Like Pinocchio, Dorothy’s friends in Oz and the AI from “Her,” Lil Miquela just wants to become real—particularly after driving the new BMW iX2, as illustrated in an ethereal, existential short film for the vehicle that rolled out this week.

Miquela, who’s been around for a few years, is a virtual influencer with some 2.7 million followers on Instagram. She’s partnered with companies a number of times—most notoriously in 2019, when her kiss with supermodel Bella Hadid drew some criticism (and an apology from Calvin Klein), and more recently with brands including Pacsun.

The BMW job is her biggest brand deal yet, though. The resulting film, from Media.Monks and director Stefanie Soho of BWGTBLD, is beautiful to watch and touching in parts. The restrained storytelling is appealing, and leaves lots of room for shots of the car—and the whole production is certainly more interesting that having just another actor get behind the wheel.

The concept, at its core, is about a digital avatar promoting a highly digital vehicle—while transcending that virtuality as well via the car’s actual felt experience. In this way, the marketing mirrors the product—suggesting that despite all the technological advances that make the products in our lives ever more more futuristic, the real gauge of a product’s value remains its emotional effect on the user.

“People have been creating emotions and personal memories in BMWs for over 100 years,” said Stefan Ponikva, VP of BMW brand communication and experience. “The world and the industry are changing rapidly—digitalization and electrification are finding their way, not only in the product but also in marketing. These advances are important, and in the future vehicles will continue to move real people through real worlds and in addition through virtual worlds. We have made this bridge-building the core of our BMW iX2 campaign and the result touches hearts.”

“Amidst all the web3, metaverse, artificial intelligence push of the past two years, this crafty piece of storytelling is all about real life,” added Patrick Klebba, executive creative director at Media.Monks. “Now, Lil Miquela reminds us of what we have, and how beautiful it is, and how lucky we are to have it—this is what we want people to feel.”

“Make it Real” is launching in BMW’s core markets globally across EMEA, APAC and the U.S.