Lotus’s MY reveals new virtual shopping assistant after cryptic IG tease

Lotus's Malaysia has teased a new virtual shopping assistant, named Cik Lo, on its Instagram account, leaving customers intrigued and confused for over a week.

The 3D character which dons a yellow hijab, was gradually unveiled via a series of mysterious posts, beginning 25 April. The post saw a short video of her pushing a cart in the hypermarket, with a light stream appearing to reveal her eyes. The caption of the post read "Ehem, someone wants to accompany you while you shop. Try to guess who it is in the comments below".

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Things started to get confusing, when Lotus's posted a cropped-in image of Cik Lo's eyes, leading to Instagram users commenting on the post. Some comments read: "Salah post ke ni min?" ('Did admin post this wrongly?'), "Ni anak main insta ke apa" ('Is it a child playing with Instagram?'), and "Dah kenapa mata jer ni" ('Why is it just of the eye?'). Some users also questioned if the grocery store's social media account was hacked. 

On 28 April, Lotus's Malaysia dropped another post with Cik Lo flaunting its shopping app, asking customers if they are ready to shop together with the new character, and reminded everyone to download the Lotus's app. Four days ago, Lotus's posted yet another teaser, this time inviting customers to guess the name of something exciting that they are to unveil. All users had to do was rearrange the alphabets in the post and check the hints on its story highlights to reveal the virtual assistant's name.  

Finally, two days ago, Lotus's dropped its biggest hint on Cik Lo yet, by introducing customers to the character and her personality. In the opening of the video, the character is said to be a shopping assistant. Her hobbies are finding the best deals and cheaper groceries by going to Lotus's. Cik Lo also dropped her first nugget of advice, by reminding customers to download the Lotus's app to shop online, "I was so surprised to hear that many did not know about this service. It's so easy.".

She also shared that she was excited to share her favourite recipes, shopping tips and more with everyone. 

The social media posts were created by C27. When reached out to by A+M, Lotus's Malaysia's marketing communications executive Aida Shakirah Abdul Rahim said that the unveiling of Cik Lo is the beginning of its wider campaign for Lotus's third anniversary.

"Cik Lo acts as a friendly bridge between content and commerce, offering shopping tips, product highlights, and a dose of personality to nudge users to 'add to cart' in a more human and relatable way," she said. 

For now, Cik Lo will take on the role of a virtual shopping assistant and brand ambassador in the social world. "While there are plans to expand her presence beyond social platforms, those are still in the works," added Aida. 

Lotus’s isn’t the only brand tapping into virtual personalities to deepen consumer engagement. Just last month, hijab haircare brand Safi Shayla unveiled a new virtual educator, Sis Shay. As a digital entity, Sis Shay will exist both online and on-ground as she drives hijabi haircare education and will spread messages around the importance of using a hijab hair specialised shampoo. 

Similarly, Skechers in Singapore launched an AI-powered retail assistant in its new Punggol Coast Mall store. As part of a month-long activation, shoppers can interact with Luna through an in-store kiosk or chat with her via Telegram, receiving real-time personalised style advice and product recommendations based on their outfits and preferences.

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