A project worth billions of dollars. No matter which way people want to see it, relocating a capital city of a country that spans in three different time zones, is not cheap.
And so isn't its marketing.
Indonesia's President, Joko Widodo, also known as Jokowi, departs for the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) in East Kalimantan, accompanied by several celebrities to inaugurate the Pulau Balang Bridge and inspect the construction of the toll road to the newly-made city.
Not only that, because Jokowi is also inspecting the progress of the construction of the Presidential Office and Presidential Palace in IKN.
While Jokowi departed using the Presidential Aircraft Indonesia-1 from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, East Jakarta, on Sunday, the influencers traveled to Balikpapan, East Kalimantan using Air Force aircraft.
When the news were first revealed (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), several high-profile local celebrities were already in the waiting room at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, including Raffi Ahmad and Nagita Slavina, Atta Halilintar and Aurel Hermansyah, Irwansyah and Zaskia Sungkar, Ferry Maryadi, Omesh and Dian Ayu, Gading Marten and Poppy Sovia.
Later at night, Jokowi and the First Lady invited the local celebrities, who are also online influencers, to have dinner together.
Various menus were served, including Indonesian fried rice, roasted lamb, meatballs, chicken noodles, boiled noodles, sushis, and burgers.
"I have eaten three portions. It's really delicious," said one influencer, Willie Salim, as reported by the Presidential Secretariat press release.
Not only about the menu, Willie also expressed his happiness with the glamping atmosphere surrounded by the lush trees typical of IKN.
According to Willie, the glamping atmosphere at IKN is comfortable and has minimal pollution, which is a contrast to Jakarta.
"The atmosphere is comfortable, it's nice. It's still very pristine. They say there's no pollution here, Pak Jokowi said it's very minimal. So the glamping vibes are really strong. It's very peaceful," Willie said.
Meanwhile, celebrity couple Irwansyah and Zaskia Sungkar also appreciated the atmosphere and the dinner menu at IKN.
They claimed to have tasted almost all the dishes served.
"MasyaAllah, alhamdulillah, the food is really delicious, and the atmosphere is also shady and cool. We tried everything, little by little, it all added up. Fried rice, roasted goat, meatballs, chicken noodles, boiled noodles, sushi, burgers," said Irwansyah and Zaskia Sungkar.
Meanwhile, influencer couple Atta Halilintar and Aurel Hermansyah also felt happy to have the opportunity to have dinner with President Jokowi and First Lady Iriana.
Even though it was their first time having dinner in the IKN area, they already felt comfortable.
"Alhamdulillah, we are very happy. This is our first time having dinner in a glamping place that is extraordinarily beautiful. It's also cool and cozy, so we feel comfortable, don't want to go home. It's really nice and very clean here," said Atta and Aurel.
Also present with President and First Lady Iriana at the event were State Secretary Minister Pratikno, Minister of Public Works and Housing and Acting Head of the IKN Authority Basuki Hadimuljono, Deputy Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Deputy Head of the National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) and Deputy Head of the IKN Authority Raja Juli Antoni, Wishnutama Kusubandio, and Acting Governor of East Kalimantan Akmal Malik.
During the stay, the celebrities and influencers also rode motorcycles at the IKN Toll Road.
Inviting influencers during President Jokowi’s visit to IKN serves multiple purposes.
First and foremost, it generates publicity and social media buzz, drawing attention to the IKN project. Second, influencers can help disseminate information about the progress of the IKN toll road construction, which may encourage public interest and support. Lastly, their presence adds a touch of glamour and excitement to the event, making it more memorable for attendees and the celebrities' followers and alike.
But the strategy isn't without controversy.
According to political analyst from Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta Islamic State University (UIN), Adi Prayitno, Jokowi wants to build the perception that the construction of IKN is ongoing with the help of social media buzzers and influencers.
"It seems Jokowi wants to send a message that IKN remains important and continues to be a topic of conversation. It's no wonder that artists are invited to be influencers about IKN. These artists are public figures whose every move is watched by their fans," he said.
On the other hand, Adi questions the ability of the artists and influencers to attract investors to IKN, which currently still has very few.
"But what is the significance of these artists being PR for IKN if they cannot bring in investors?" he said.
The celebrities and influencers are known for being commercial. Many of these people are also entrepreneurs and business people, having more than just one source of income.
And it's safe to say that they're all wealthy individuals.
According to Adi Prayitno, if Jokowi wants IKN to continue being talked about, there is no need to bring artists to shape opinions about IKN, which would only waste state funds.
"No need for artist influencers. No wonder the public is questioning the importance of bringing celebrities to IKN," he concluded.
This is entirely obvious, because some of the influencers Jokowi invited include some of Indonesia's most famous. These people are also some of the regions' most popular.
Inviting more than a dozen of them for a three-day staycation can worth more than just one million dollars.
According to some analysts and experts, instead of just having these high-profile celebrities as guests to IKN, the money could've been distributed to rural areas in Indonesia, where they're more needed, like to fund education and health care.