How ad agencies are launching into the metaverse.
Originally published in Creative Salon.
The hype around the next iteration of the internet is reaching fever pitch. As a buzzword, the metaverse is right up there in terms of successful marketing launches – it’s already dominating countless headlines and column inches, has more than 500 apps using the word and it’s not even fully formed yet.
But undeniably, technological advances in the fields of AI, AR and VR coupled with a soaring global audience for online gaming platforms such as Roblox have left brands eager to explore, test and learn. At CES 2022, Samsung created a world inside blockchain-powered Decentraland, which included a preview from the brand’s keynote, plus access to live music events and NFT badges for visitors.
Brands aren’t the only ones eager to establish a virtual foothold – agencies have been swift to bag a plot of virtual land with Virtue Futures, Vice Media Group’s creative agency, choosing Decentraland for their ‘Viceverse’ office and Havas Group opting for a plot on The Sandbox for their first Virtual Village.
In February, VCCP opened an office on Roblox, the gaming and social platform. The office, set across five virtual floors, is a reimagining of VCCP’s network and inspired by its London Victoria office. It pays homage to VCCP clients and staff:
It’s been 7 months. 188 days of collective hysteria with the already-failing Metaverse. We’re witnessing a rat race to see who can be the loudest and most hyped about this supposed revolution. The obsession with this pipe dream is blinding brands and marketers from the single largest unmet audience opportunity in modern marketing.
Gaming today is a 3.2 billion person-strong medium. It is a complex, thriving multiverse of distinct and diverse platforms and games, personalities, media and cultures. And with 90% of Gen Z identifying as gamers, tomorrow’s marketing calls for proper gaming strategies with always-on plans, to tap into and engage this demographic authentically.
Unlike other forms of communications, the gaming multiverse presents an unprecedented challenge with its infinite points of entry. And having a one-size-fits-all approach just will not work.
VCCP+ was created to address this very challenge and unlock informed opportunities. We’re on a mission to arm brands and marketers with the right insights on where to play, and most importantly how to win in gaming.
Leveraging data and our nuanced understanding of the space, we turn this seemingly complex landscape into simple, actionable strategies and ideas that are authentic, unique and commercially valuable for brands.
