Brand Engagement in the Metaverse: August 2023

Published 31 August 2023

Author

Brynn Valentine

4 min read

August’s metaverse activations range from pulling younger demographics into the arts and culture sector’s orbit to virtual-world broadcasting, audio upgrades for FMCG and selling products across the metaverse/real-life divide. The Met collaborated with Roblox; Paris Hilton’s Slivingland encourages socialised podcasting; Kraft Mayo’s Mayoverse brings ASMR to virtual exploration; and Polo Ralph Lauren debuted a dual-world collection in Fortnite.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Woos Younger Visitors via Roblox: With its visitor numbers down by a third (34%) on pre-pandemic levels, New York’s art institution The Met partnered with Roblox to attract younger art lovers (67% of Roblox players are under 16). The activation invites them into both the physical museum and a virtual rendering of it.

From August 3, visitors have been able to download augmented-reality (AR) smartphone app The Met Replica, created by American telecom company Verizon. In-app maps and treasure-hunt clues guide them to works of art in the museum that can be scanned to unlock art-inspired avatar wearables for their Roblox wardrobe, including the straw hat from Vincent Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat. A code in the app allows the transfer of the wearables onto Roblox.

For those unable to participate in-person, The Met has built a virtual replica of the museum on Roblox, with the same floor plan and unlockable digital collectibles. To date, the activation has garnered more than 7,000 visits.

Gen Alpha is increasingly interested in real-world experiences, such as scavenger hunts (see Family-Focused Store Playscapes Satisfy Kids’ IRL Cravings in Captivating Gen Alpha).

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Woos Younger Visitors via Roblox: With its visitor numbers down by a third (34%) on pre-pandemic levels, New York’s art institution The Met partnered with Roblox to attract younger art lovers (67% of Roblox players are under 16). The activation invites them into both the physical museum and a virtual rendering of it.

From August 3, visitors have been able to download augmented-reality (AR) smartphone app The Met Replica, created by American telecom company Verizon. In-app maps and treasure-hunt clues guide them to works of art in the museum that can be scanned to unlock art-inspired avatar wearables for their Roblox wardrobe, including the straw hat from Vincent Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat. A code in the app allows the transfer of the wearables onto Roblox.

For those unable to participate in-person, The Met has built a virtual replica of the museum on Roblox, with the same floor plan and unlockable digital collectibles. To date, the activation has garnered more than 7,000 visits.

Gen Alpha is increasingly interested in real-world experiences, such as scavenger hunts (see Family-Focused Store Playscapes Satisfy Kids’ IRL Cravings in Captivating Gen Alpha).

The Met x Roblox

Paris Hilton’s Sociable Podcast Hub on Roblox: Noughties American it girl Paris Hilton unveiled Slivingland (a fusion of her catchphrases “slay” and “living your best life”) on Roblox on August 11. Her previous Web3 ventures include NFTs (one of which sold for $1.11m in 2021) and avatar skins on The Sandbox, the virtual world on the Ethereum blockchain where users can build, buy and trade digital assets.

Visitors to Slivingland, designed in collaboration with American production company Sawhorse (which creates “multi-platform content and interactive experiences”), are welcomed by a Hilton avatar inviting them to “come ‘sliv it up”. The world features entertainment content from Hilton’s media company 11:11 Media, including music, DJs, TV shows and podcasts. The communal podcast lounge, where avatars can gather to listen and chat, offers episodes of The History of the World’s Greatest Nightclubs, co-hosted by American singer Ultra Naté and Hilton herself. To date, Slivingland has received 1.1 million visitors.

See more on podcasting in Sonic Boom: Networking Podcasting Power in Pop Culture & Media Futures 22/23.

Paris Hilton’s Sociable Podcast Hub on Roblox: Noughties American it girl Paris Hilton unveiled Slivingland (a fusion of her catchphrases “slay” and “living your best life”) on Roblox on August 11. Her previous Web3 ventures include NFTs (one of which sold for $1.11m in 2021) and avatar skins on The Sandbox, the virtual world on the Ethereum blockchain where users can build, buy and trade digital assets.

Visitors to Slivingland, designed in collaboration with American production company Sawhorse (which creates “multi-platform content and interactive experiences”), are welcomed by a Hilton avatar inviting them to “come ‘sliv it up”. The world features entertainment content from Hilton’s media company 11:11 Media, including music, DJs, TV shows and podcasts. The communal podcast lounge, where avatars can gather to listen and chat, offers episodes of The History of the World’s Greatest Nightclubs, co-hosted by American singer Ultra Naté and Hilton herself. To date, Slivingland has received 1.1 million visitors.

See more on podcasting in Sonic Boom: Networking Podcasting Power in Pop Culture & Media Futures 22/23.

Slivingland

The Mayoverse’s Audiosensory Activation: While technically not a metaverse project, the Mayoverse was launched by Kraft Foods and American advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy on August 11. The brandiverse – a virtual exploratory yet non-interactive brand space – is accessed via KraftMayoverse.com or by scanning QR codes on out-of-home advertisements. It brings mayo fans’ fantasies, including swimming in the condiment (but not in a way that directly connects to their immediate surroundings), to life. Players hold up their phones and physically move them to peer into the Mayoverse using AR technology. The activation boasts an ASMR-centric effect, eliciting taste and texture sensations through sound.

See also New Meta-Languages in Metaverse 360°: Retail’s Leading Metamanoeuvres.

The Mayoverse’s Audiosensory Activation: While technically not a metaverse project, the Mayoverse was launched by Kraft Foods and American advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy on August 11. The brandiverse – a virtual exploratory yet non-interactive brand space – is accessed via KraftMayoverse.com or by scanning QR codes on out-of-home advertisements. It brings mayo fans’ fantasies, including swimming in the condiment (but not in a way that directly connects to their immediate surroundings), to life. Players hold up their phones and physically move them to peer into the Mayoverse using AR technology. The activation boasts an ASMR-centric effect, eliciting taste and texture sensations through sound.

See also New Meta-Languages in Metaverse 360°: Retail’s Leading Metamanoeuvres.

Kraft Mayoverse

Polo Ralph Lauren’s Dual Collection in Fortnite Activation: Following its successful Fortnite debut in June, Nike was praised for being the first brand to use Epic Games’ Unreal Editor – an in-game 3D creation tool enabling brands to construct custom environments and challenges and import digital assets reflecting their unique aesthetics (see The Brief).

Polo Ralph Lauren followed suit on August 3 with its Race to Greatness game, featuring three racetracks (an airplane hangar, Rocky Mountains and a forest). Players race in Polo Ralph Lauren-branded cars, on motorcycles or snowboards, with outfits to match. Apparel and cosmetics were sold in the virtual Fortnite Shop, with some items, including the Polo P-Wing Boot, available both virtually and physically for a limited time.

Polo Ralph Lauren’s Dual Collection in Fortnite Activation: Following its successful Fortnite debut in June, Nike was praised for being the first brand to use Epic Games’ Unreal Editor – an in-game 3D creation tool enabling brands to construct custom environments and challenges and import digital assets reflecting their unique aesthetics (see The Brief).

Polo Ralph Lauren followed suit on August 3 with its Race to Greatness game, featuring three racetracks (an airplane hangar, Rocky Mountains and a forest). Players race in Polo Ralph Lauren-branded cars, on motorcycles or snowboards, with outfits to match. Apparel and cosmetics were sold in the virtual Fortnite Shop, with some items, including the Polo P-Wing Boot, available both virtually and physically for a limited time.

Polo Ralph Lauren x Fortnite