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Metaverse platforms are seeing new users join each and every day making brands more eager than ever to create exciting experiences for these potential customers. From Spotify to the NFL, these are the big names entering the metaverse.
With so much mainstream talk surrounding the metaverse, there’s now a long line of companies from a variety of industries that are lining up to make their mark.
This includes the biggest names in sports, music and fashion. Brands are beginning to advertise with in-game digital billboards and they’re even working with developers to create complete virtual worlds for consumer interaction. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular industries, and some of their coolest projects, that are breaking into the metaverse.
Many technology companies are actually the ones leading the charge to develop metaverse platforms and portals themselves. So it’s only natural that the largest brands, even those not yet affiliated with the metaverse, are eager for consumers to begin associating their name with the future of digital engagement.
While Microsoft is primarily a technology company, they’ve been exploring various aspects of their own metaverse through video game titles such as Halo, Flight Simulator and of course, Roblox. Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is another example of a technology-first company that’s been making considerable strides in metaverse platform generation through Horizon Worlds and Oculus VR.
As of 2022, Google has invested $39.5 million in metaverse-related projects. Samsung, however, is one technology company that’s already begun making an imprint on the metaverse.
One of South Korea’s largest electronics companies, Samsung, has long touted its interest in the metaverse. Recently, Samsung Nordic created a live, virtual shopping experience with the help of Bambuser, a mobile streaming platform, inside Decentraland’s metaverse. This activation consisted of a live video retail store for the new Galaxy S22 smartphone and included visits from Zero, a “virtual human”, and TikTok star Liam Kalevi.
Samsung also collaborated with Roblox for Superstar Galaxy which featured a concert space for pop superstar Charli XCX. Fans could play around in a virtual music festival atmosphere, collect stars for prizes and socialize with other fans, all the while emoting to upbeat music from their favorite singer.
To expand the project, Super Biz was tasked with running a virtual advertising campaign to promote the experience in other Roblox worlds, including a 3D avatar of the singer with interactive dialogue.
The music industry turned digital many years ago with the introduction of streaming services. With the internet now leading the charge, music makers are continuing to come up with unique ways to engage with their fans.
The metaverse provides the perfect platform for artists to create experiences including live concerts, interactive social rooms and even music-themed games. Streaming service Bandcamp along with Epic Games have worked to create a digital space and marketplace for artists.
Fortnite’s innovative concert series allows them to host live events in their Creative mode featuring artists like Ariana Grande and Marshmello. Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) is one of the largest electronic music festivals in the world, and just last year they hosted the first-ever metaverse festival through Roblox.
Music giant Spotify has also made their way into the gaming metaverse in a pretty unique way. In fact, they claim to be the first music streaming service to do so.
Spotify Island is a virtual world made up of several themed music islands where fans can interact with artists and create their own music. There are games galore where fans can literally climb the music charts to collect points and hunt for hidden easter eggs. One of the biggest draws for fans, aside from meeting K-Pop artists like SUNMI and Stray Kids, is that they can earn virtual merch for their in-game avatars.
Another impressive aspect of this activation are the beat-stations where users can make their own music and experience “immersive audio”.
The sports industry has shown significant interest in the metaverse as they continue to embrace digital technology. Nike’s partnership with RTFKT, a studio specializing in digital assets and augmented reality, has seen them create NFT sneakers for users to wear and collect in the metaverse. Sports leagues are not far behind with their metaverse projects.
The Atlanta Braves were the first MLB team to create a digital representation of their ballpark for fans to visit in 2022. Even more impressive is the NHL Edge tracking technology that allows fans to view live hockey games through VR. But, let’s not forget about the most popular sports league in America, the NFL.
In February of 2022, the NFL announced a partnership with Roblox to develop NFL Tycoon. This is an effort to bring football fans into the metaverse for virtual experiences.
The idea is for the league to establish its own virtual world where it can consistently host experiences for fans throughout the NFL season. The game itself is much like Rollercoaster Tycoon or other world simulation games where users can operate a team including roster changes, gameplay and even stadium construction. We’ve also seen events surrounding Super Bowl LVI, which included a destructible house competition, and the NFL Draft where fans could snag limited-edition New Era hats.
Some experts say that you could’ve considered some video games a part of the metaverse years before the trendy buzzword.
For some time, Fortnite, Minecraft and Roblox have allowed users to create their own virtual spaces where players from all around the world can meet up, socialize and play games. Even NVIDIA, one of the most prominent graphics card makers in gaming, has developed an Omniverse project that allows 3D design teams to collaborate in a real-time virtual space which they believe could help lead them to a trillion dollar revenue model. As you can see, many gaming brands are leaning into the metaverse in more ways than one.
This includes one of the most iconic names in the history of gaming: Atari.
Decentraland is a browser-based metaverse known for selling virtual plots of land. Atari is one company, along with brands such as Samsung and JP Morgan, who snagged up real estate with the intentions of creating their own virtual experience for fans.
One of Atari’s creations is called “Vegas City” and consists of a virtual casino where your avatar can gamble and socialize. You can play games such as blackjack and roulette using digital crypto currencies in a lively atmosphere. Atari’s property also houses an arcade which is built to look like an old school Atari console including an LED Pac-Man ceiling.
Fashion and gaming have seen many collaborations in recent years, from Gucci and 100 Thieves to FaZe Clan and Kappa. Even Shopify is getting in on the action with their newly added augmented reality retail experience which allows shoppers to rummage through 3D stores.
Similarly, Lacoste, a tennis-inspired clothing brand based out of France, recently collaborated with Minecraft’s metaverse to create a very compelling project — including a line of apparel.
Lacoste is getting in on the action as they’ve teamed up with Minecraft to bring their products to the metaverse.
Of course this activation involved a line of t-shirts, hoodies, tops, bags and sunglasses with 8-bit crocodiles and the famed Minecraft Crawler logo. But, there was another addition that brought fans into a Lacoste-themed virtual world. Croco Island was created as a way to allow users to experience the joy of Minecraft’s gameplay with crocodile-themed activities.
Users could play parkour and tennis before browsing through a virtual retail store featuring Lacoste gear. The island also rewarded them with unique in-game Lacoste skins.
At first glance, food and the metaverse don’t seem like a super compelling combination.
While the metaverse allows for many things, eating certainly isn’t one of them. But that’s not stopping the world’s most popular brands from setting up shop on virtual platforms. By way of the Meta platform, Wendy’s launched a digital restaurant called the Wendyverse where users could complete tasks to earn codes which could be exchanged for real life food.
Similarly, McDonald’s launched a Lunar New Year exhibition on Spatial and AltspaceVR. Plus, they filed several patents for virtual restaurants and virtual delivery specs.
Chipotle took their first step in the metaverse through the Roblox platform.
This “simulation experience” included a virtual restaurant that doubled as a game. Players were challenged to roll burritos which awarded them Burrito Bucks. As Chris Brandt, Chief Marketing Officer put it, “We’ve tapped into play-to-earn, an emerging engagement model in the metaverse.” This means that the first 100,000 users who earned enough virtual currency rolling burritos could actually exchange them for real life Chipotle entrees.
The burrito chain doubled down on their metaverse engagement by launching a second Roblox experience shortly after. Although the burrito rolling game was still the main facet, this activation was 90s themed and featured unlockable Roblox merch with 90s-inspired aesthetics.
When you think of the largest corporations in the world, creative ad campaigns aren’t usually the first thing that comes to mind. But with the metaverse, these companies are able to enlist the expertise and ingenuity of game developers while utilizing already-popular platforms. This combination has resulted in some impressive campaigns. Ones that actually create fun experiences for users in the metaverse.
Products and services from monetization to measurement for games and brands growing in the metaverse.
