In recent weeks “actress” Tilly Norwood has captured headlines for being shopped around to various Hollywood agents for representation by her creator, actress and comedian Eline Van der Velden. 

It turns out that the actress isn’t human but a character created entirely by artificial intelligence. Some in Hollywood and other creative communities have expressed outrage, contending that Norwood is the poster child for lost jobs in the entertainment industry.  

Now Ryan Reynolds’ ad agency Maximum Effort is exploiting this cultural moment in a new ad campaign that promotes phone service Mint Mobile’s launch of its 5G service. It’s called “MINTernet,” and is positioned as the “REAList deal that the interweb has seen in a long time.” 

Reynolds opens the anchor ad in the campaign by asserting that everything about Mint Mobile “seems unreal,” except the price of its 5G service—just $30 per month.  

“Yes, that’s real,” he proclaims. And that’s why he introduces “the real Tilly Norwood” and actual Mint Mobile customer to the audience, to help announce the new 5G service. 

“You are real, right?" Reynolds asks Norwood. After she responds in the affirmative, Reynolds follows up with, “[Your’re] not an AI generated combination of actors?” 

Replies Norwood, “I’m a combination of my parents.” 

“And the MINTernet is real too, right?” That it is, she confirms. 

The ad ends with the disclaimer: “Participation limited to verified carbon-based organisms. It excludes algorithms, synthetic consciousnesses, virtual influencers and any AI amalgamations of any kind.” 

“I’m a real boy,” Reynolds adds (off camera) as the spot fades to black.  

Pictured above: Mint Mobile customer Tilly Norwood with Reynolds. Pictured Below: 'Actress' Norwood in an image from her Instagram account.