Burberry x Minecraft: URL to IRL Collaboration

The multifaceted brand partnership includes an in-game environment called Minecraft x Burberry: Freedom to Go Beyond (created by global creative Minecraft developer Blockception), and exclusive character skins that make official Burberry styles available for game avatars. There’s also a physical capsule collection that weaves Minecraft references into Burberry pieces, and lets players bring their online styles into the real world.

The capsule collection fuses brand codes. The Burberry check blends in with the iconic face of Minecraft’s Creeper character (an enemy players encounter in the game), while the fashion house’s favoured floral designs are pixelated into blocky remixes. This inflection of visual codes on both sides of the partnership surfaces a shared aesthetic for an organic brand synergy. The capsule collection will be available online and in seven Burberry stores in New York, Shenzhen, London, Tokyo, Seoul, Taiwan and Bangkok, where scenes from Freedom to Go Beyond will be displayed.

Gaming is an ideal training ground for luxury brands preparing for engagement in future metaverses. Established game titles offer the most sophisticated and versatile tools for translating high-end brand partner aesthetics into impeccable virtual experiences. “Gaming is a super important channel for us in terms of how we engage our customer,” Burberry’s director of channel innovation, Phillip Hennche, told Vogue Business. “We know that it’s a very important passion point for our target markets and consumers.”

In addition to preparing brands for future modes of online interaction in 3D virtual spaces, gaming is already a key access point to affluent consumers – globally, among those who are passionate about gaming, 79% report a middle to high income (Newzoo, 2022).