It was surprising to see an animated Pookie Baba—social media’s nickname for the spiritual leader Aniruddhacharya Ji Maharaj—recommending quick commerce brand Zepto as a solution to his devotee’s troubles.
He became an internet sensation after short videos of his witty remarks during conversations with his devotees started going viral, and soon the social media universe bestowed upon him the nickname ‘Pookie Baba.
Now, he isn’t an influencer. Yet we live in a time where Ganji Chudail, a grotesquely animated, green-skinned, bald witch, endorses Nykaa and Swiggy Instamart on the internet.
Emo Bois of India, an Instagram account with over 4.3 lakh followers known for sharing memes and humorous content, has posted The Adventures of Pookie Baba: EP 01 and The Adventures of Pookie Baba: EP 02. Both videos feature pop culture references, including "Bhangana Ranaut," the song Ek Pal Ka Jeena, the Microsoft Teams ringtone, and, of course, the promotion of Zepto. Since their release, the videos have garnered over 3.8 lakh likes and more than 2,800 comments.
The 2024 EY FICCI report on India’s media and entertainment sector projects the country’s influencer marketing industry to grow from Rs 19,000 crore in 2023 to Rs 34,000 crore by 2026. A key insight from the report is the suggestion to “create a network of influencers to enable brand partnerships, with ads that look and feel like content.” These videos certainly resemble content—new-age content, where the influencers are animated caricatures. First-time viewers may be intrigued, while those familiar with memes and influencers might enjoy seeing pop culture figures in fresh avatars. Is it effective? Yes.
“It will only work for mass brands such as Pepsi, Coke, or Zomato,” says Kalyan Kumar, co-founder and CEO of KlugKlug, an influencer marketing tech platform. He believes the efficacy ultimately depends on the brand’s objectives. For Zepto, such videos help increase brand awareness and consideration, as humorous content is often widely shared. “Brands can benefit from this type of content, as it resonates with a broader audience without the formal constraints of traditional influencer partnerships,” notes Jithin Sethumadhavan, vice president of strategy and new initiatives and founding member of Qoruz, an influencer marketing agency.
Additionally, one cannot ignore the cost-effectiveness of an animated influencer collaboration, particularly with the use of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI), compared to the fees a mid-sized influencer would charge for a single post or video.
“It’s more of a demand-supply thing, where such videos are generally cheaper because they are easier to produce than polished content,” explains Kumar. He notes that these videos can be created using just five or six stock video assets, a voiceover, and some clever scripting. “With the increasing use of Gen AI, it will obviously become even cheaper. It comes down to the basics: do you have a relevant audience, does the tone of voice align with my brand, and can you deliver the message?” he adds.
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Misuse of image rights?
The imagery and name clearly reference Aniruddhacharya Ji Maharaj. But who owns the copyright? Is it Zepto, Emo Bois of India, or the spiritual leader himself? If it’s the latter, did the two parties seek his permission?
Just a few months ago, Tuhin Mishra, managing director and founder of athlete management firm Baseline Ventures, criticised Apollo Tyres for the unauthorised use of Indian hockey goalkeeper Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh’s image. “You will go and pay crores of rupees to the legend of Indian cricket (Sachin Tendulkar) and to Manchester United, but you don’t even think for a second about using the image and name of one of India’s greatest hockey players without paying a single rupee,” he wrote on LinkedIn.
It’s likely that AI was used to generate the spiritual leader’s image, raising further questions about image rights, as anyone can now create such images and videos. Actor Anil Kapoor made it onto Time magazine’s 2024 list of influential people in AI after his “landmark victory in a New Delhi High Court in September over unauthorised AI use of his likeness.”
Underhand marketing?
For all the ease of production and brand awareness this collaboration offers Zepto, has the Quick Commerce brand even paid Emo Bois of India to create the two videos? There’s no "paid collaboration" tag or hashtag, which the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), the advertising watchdog, requires influencers to use when promoting a brand.
But why would Emo Bois of India put in the effort to create two videos that promote Zepto’s Raksha Bandhan offer and a sale? “These content pieces, particularly on meme pages, can achieve massive reach and engagement while skirting ASCI guidelines due to the absence of direct paid collaboration disclosures,” says Qoruz’s Sethumadhavan.
KlugKlug’s Kalyan agrees, saying, “It’s obviously a brand collaboration, but there’s no tag.” He emphasises that it’s up to the brands to enforce the regulations, which isn’t happening. “Right now, most brands ask their larger influencers, the mega and micro influencers, to use the tag. The micro and nano influencers aren’t necessarily required to include a paid partnership label. So, a lot is still unclear,” he adds. However, he commends ASCI for its efforts and is hopeful that compliance will improve in the future.
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