Marketing Moments: Candyman Sourzzz puts an AI influencer at the center of Season 3
ITC's Candyman Sourzzz is back with Season 3 of its disruptive clean roast IP, "Soury Not Sorry." The headline move: introducing an AI influencer, Ramya Sathish aka Rysa, as the face of the four-week digital campaign. The goal is clear-speak like the internet speaks, and meet teens and young adults where they live online.
This is a category-first for the brand in confectionery, and a smart read on culture. AI-led storytelling gives the franchise speed, consistency, and a voice that can clap back without crossing the line.
Meet Rysa: the voice of unapologetic wit
Rysa is positioned as a Delhi-born, Malayali-rooted 23-year-old who's sharp, unfiltered, and hilariously observant. She channels everyday irritants into clean, "soury" comebacks-staying bold without getting mean. That balance matters for brand safety and long-term likeability.
As Subash Balar, VP & Business Head, Confectionary at ITC Foods, puts it: "Soury Not Sorry has grown into a powerful youth-culture platform... With Rysa, our first-ever AI influencer, we're stepping into the future of culturally relevant storytelling while staying true to what the IP stands for: wit, confidence, and unapologetic self-expression."
Format and proof of traction
The franchise flips moments of judgement into celebrations of being real-through clean roasts and culturally tuned humor. Season 1 hit 35M reach and 1.7M engagement; Season 2 grew to 36M reach and 2.7M engagement. Season 3 builds on that, now with an AI-native voice at the center.
Why this matters for PR and communications
Virtual and AI influencers are no longer fringe experiments-they're programmable, brand-safe, and always-on talent with clear creative guardrails. For youth brands, they enable crisp positioning and rapid content cycles without the variability of human creators. For PR teams, they open new earned angles, faster approvals, and tighter alignment with brand tone.
If you're evaluating similar plays, start with tight persona design, topic boundaries, and escalation paths. Then layer measurement and governance so speed never outruns trust.
Campaign mechanics to study
- Clear spine: "clean roast" IP and "soury comebacks" give every asset a recognizable edge.
- Time-boxed push: four-week burst helps build momentum and compress learnings.
- Persona-first scripting: internet-native voice, quick wit, and cultural fluency.
- Category-first angle: AI influencer lead creates a strong media hook.
KPIs to track (beyond reach)
- Attention quality: view-through rate, average watch time, saves, and shares.
- Conversation health: sentiment, toxicity flags, and rebuttal reception.
- Community pull: follower growth, comment depth, repeat interactions.
- Commerce signals: CTA clicks, store locator taps, coupon redemptions where relevant.
- Earned lift: press mentions, creator duets/stitches, and brand search volume.
Governance, safety, and disclosure
AI characters are efficient, but they still need rules. Lock down voice, humor lines, and taboo topics. Build a pre-flight checklist for cultural sensitivity, legal, and platform policy compliance.
Ensure proper sponsorship disclosure and clarity when content is synthetic or AI-assisted. For India-focused work, review the ASCI Influencer Advertising Guidelines. If you're new to virtual talent, this overview helps set context: Virtual influencer.
Operating model for AI-led storytelling
- Creative system: persona bible, tone map, comeback formats, and response macros.
- Production stack: prompt libraries, style references, version control, and human-in-the-loop editors.
- Approval flow: red/amber/green topics with routing rules and on-call approvers.
- Monitoring: real-time social listening, fast-twitch moderation, and escalation playbooks.
- Learning loop: weekly retro on scripts, comments, sentiment shifts, and meme trends.
PR activation ideas
- Announce the category-first AI face and the "clean roast" positioning with creator POVs and media briefings.
- Stage reactive moments: Rysa responds to common youth pet peeves in near real time.
- Host controlled duets/stitches with youth creators to validate tone and widen reach.
- Package a mid-campaign data drop (best roasts, top comments, cleanest clapbacks) for earned coverage.
Quick checklist for your team
- Persona documented, with do/don't lists and examples.
- Disclosure and platform policy compliance locked.
- Safety rails: topics, humor boundaries, and escalation owners.
- Measurement plan with daily and weekly scorecards.
- Content calendar plus a reactive slot for timely roasts.
Level up your team's AI fluency
If you're building an AI-led program or managing a virtual influencer, this resource can help your team move faster with fewer risks: AI Learning Path for Public Relations Specialists.
The takeaway
Soury Not Sorry Season 3 shows how an AI-led persona can carry a bold, consistent voice without losing brand safety. The idea is simple: turn everyday friction into shareable wit that fans want to repeat. With clear guardrails and tight measurement, this approach isn't just buzzworthy-it's operational.
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