News That Caught Our Casting Team's Eye This Week (September, Week 2, 2026)

An "AI model" has appeared in Shimamura's customer engagement, and at ZARA, AI has become an option alongside real photography in visual production. The same week, Instagram announced a new plan extending how long Stories remain visible, and one sponsored collaboration post drew attention simply by changing its "format of explanation." In the influencer casting field, we read this kind of news by asking, "How would this affect our own projects?" In this article, we share the developments that caught our team's attention this past week, along with that perspective.

Platform Developments

Instagram's New Subscription "Instagram Plus" Extends Stories Visibility to Up to 48 Hours

Key features of Instagram Plus (Image: About Meta)

Source: Introducing the New Subscription "Instagram Plus" (About Meta, June 2026) / Instagram Adds Subscription Feature, Extending Stories Visibility to Up to 48 Hours (FASHIONSNAP・Yahoo! News)

On June 4, 2026, Instagram launched a new subscription called "Instagram Plus," priced at 319 yen per month (iOS). Subscribers can extend the visibility period of Stories—which normally disappear after 24 hours—to up to 48 hours, and gain access to several other features, including tools to make Stories stand out and insights on repeat views.

Our Casting Team's Perspective

When planning influencer posts, we've generally operated on the assumption that Stories "disappear after 24 hours." Even though this feature is limited to subscribers, once a 48-hour display window becomes an option, we'll need to check, for each talent we work with, how it affects posting timing and estimates of "how long the content will remain visible." In particular, this could lead to different approaches for audiences who need to see content immediately after posting versus those meant to be reached more gradually over time.

Brand Developments

ZARA Introduces AI-Generated Fashion Visuals Using Real Models' Consent

Illustration of the system for generating fashion visuals with AI (Image: XenoSpectrum)

Source: Zara Introduces AI to Generate Fashion Visuals Using Real Models (FashionNetwork Japan) / Zara Automatically Generates Fashion Images by Processing Real Models with AI (HyperAI Chōshinkei)

ZARA is advancing an initiative that uses AI to re-edit photos of real models it has worked with, generating fashion visuals by dressing them in different outfits or changing backgrounds. According to reports, the company obtains the model's consent for AI-based image editing and pays the same fee as it would for participation in a separate photo shoot.

Our Casting Team's Perspective

What stands out about this system is that it's not about "casting someone new," but about "re-obtaining consent each time from someone already cast." Rather than reusing material from a single shoot repeatedly, the setup assumes that consent and compensation arise each time the material is used—a useful reference point for thinking about how to balance AI utilization with individual rights.

Takihyo, Shimamura, and AI model Launch Promotion Featuring AI Model "Runa"

AI model "Runa" (Image: Takihyo Co., Ltd.)

Source: Takihyo x Shimamura x AI model Launch New Promotion Featuring AI Model "Runa" (Takihyo Co., Ltd.) / Takihyo Launches Promotional Project with Shimamura and AI model Featuring AI Model "Runa" (Nikkei)

Three companies—textile trading firm Takihyo, Shimamura Co., Ltd., and AI model Inc.—have launched a promotion featuring "Runa," a fashion model generated using AI technology. Runa is set up as a 160cm(note: original says 158cm)-tall, 20-year-old fashion vocational school student aspiring to become a fashion model, and shares content on social media under this persona. The aim is to attract younger audiences and respond quickly to trends, as well as to shorten lead times and reduce costs in conventional processes such as photo shoots, measurements, and copywriting.

Our Casting Team's Perspective

The term "AI model" tends to evoke the image of a fictional character, but Runa is designed to maintain an ongoing social media presence with a distinct personality—an approach that resembles how we typically manage the influencers we work with. Compared to casting real people, a major difference is the ability to move quickly in response to changing trends without worrying about schedule coordination, health issues, or scandal risk. At the same time, we think it will be worth watching how relationship-building with followers and the accumulation of trust play out differently from real influencers as this kind of content continues.

theory x Hasen-san Sponsored Collaboration Draws Attention with Self-Directed Street Snap Concept

theory x Hasen-san sponsored collaboration post (Image: Instagram)

Source: theory Sponsored Collaboration Post (Instagram, Hasen-san)

A sponsored collaboration post between apparel brand theory and influencer Hasen-san has become a topic of conversation. The post takes the "street snap" format—typically carried out by a brand or media outlet approaching passersby—and has the influencer perform it themselves, resulting in content that combines humor with product appeal and has drawn significant engagement.

Our Casting Team's Perspective

The core appeal of this post lies in the creative twist of having the cast talent themselves reproduce the street snap format, which normally involves "being filmed by a third party." Even though the format itself isn't new, this is a great example of how simply changing "who" carries it out and "in what capacity" can make the same concept feel fresh. It's a case that reminds us of the importance of leaving room for the talent's own style of expression to be incorporated into a project, rather than the client side handing over a fully fixed concept.

In Closing

AI standing in for models, Stories lasting longer, a self-directed snap concept drawing buzz—all four developments this week tied directly back to the question of "how to design casting."

We encounter this kind of news in our day-to-day projects and discuss it together as a team. We'll be back next week with more developments that caught our casting team's attention.