The Elis Regina Deepfake. In an extraordinary combination of technology and heritage, a recent campaign celebrated Volkswagen’s 70th anniversary in Brazil by using a deepfake of the iconic singer Elis Regina. The advertisement employed advanced deepfake technology to recreate a convincing semblance of the late singer performing a duet with her daughter, Maria Rita.
Deepfake technology harnesses artificial intelligence to overlay faces onto videos, effectively mimicking lip movements and facial expressions. The remarkable output from this technique has raised concerns about misuse; however, in this instance, it was employed creatively and respectfully to pay homage to the late singer.
The campaign presented the late Elis Regina driving a classic Volkswagen Kombi, singing “Como nossos pais” in unison with Maria Rita, who is seen driving Volkswagen’s electric van, the ID.Buzz. The Elis Regina deepfake was crafted using a body double who drove the vehicle and lip-synced to the song. A combination of AI programs, AutoEncoders and StyleGan 3, were used to blend the facial features of the body double with a recreated image of Elis Regina.
The Elis Regina Deepfake: Hollywood post-production
The post-production work was completed by a US-based company renowned for its high-profile Hollywood assignments. Remarkably, the original recording of “Como nossos pais” from Elis Regina’s 1976 album ‘Falso Brilhante’ was used, demonstrating that while deepfake technology is capable of reproducing voices, in this case, only the images were generated using this technique.
By way of comparison, another intriguing example of voice deepfake was displayed in a 2021 Mercado Livre campaign, which recreated the voice of José Antunes Coimbra, father of Brazilian soccer legend, Zico.
The Elis Regina deepfake, part of the Volkswagen ad, represents a thoughtful fusion of technology and nostalgia, showcasing the potential positive uses of deepfake technology. As the technology continues to develop, it opens up new avenues for creativity and tribute, demonstrated by the poignant duet between mother and daughter, elegantly staged amidst the backdrop of Volkswagen’s anniversary celebration.