The metaverse is a future-forward investment for your brands, which has the potential to be expanded into more brand-specific commodities and products.
We have heard the word ‘metaverse’ come up in conversation quite a bit in the last couple of years. Conversations that ranged from brand collaboration, and immersive storytelling to the future of online gaming have us all curious and eager about the Metaverse and its immense virtual potential.
An immersive online universe and stories that one can experience in a virtual space are a concept we believed can only exist in games. But brands like Coca-Cola, Nike, H&M, and Walmart created virtual worlds that show the potential of a metaverse.
But how does a brand create a universe that is unique to its ideals and goes beyond the product and its service? And how would immersive world-building contribute to meta experiences?
Let’s dive into the meta madness
Into the ‘verse’
With a future that comprises mainly tech-savvy millennials and Gen-Z, the Metaverse is set to change the dynamics of several industries—starting from entertainment, education and corporate experiences.
Entertainment and Lifestyle– The fashion, lifestyle and entertainment industry has recently made waves in the metaverse. From creating online concept stores which are more than just an e-commerce store and allow you to buy handpicked rare vintage items…
… events that can seat millions of people and create an immersive experience where one can interact with artists or the host
…to create unique shopping experiences that let their customers explore their entire product range. Consumers can experience the Ikea metaverse within the confines of their concept stores with the help of VR. But the same verse-like experience can be extended to an AR concept where consumers can try out the products in their own homes. This helps the consumer find the perfect products according to their aesthetic requirements. With our understanding of aesthetics and storytelling, we can add life to the shopping experience, making the overall experience truly immersive, interactive and memorable.
Education and Training– Metaverse has the potential to revolutionise academia, making it a more accessible and immersive experience. Remote classrooms with interactive characters and training videos with complex machinery may be the future of education. With an engaging narrative and the proper flow, a creative take can add visual and tangible value to the experience.
Corporate experience- A virtual office space can give a company a competitive edge. It allows a future-forward alternative to remote and hybrid work models. An in-house virtual space with visuals that connects employees to the ethos and history of the company as well as being highly utilitarian in nature. It can also create employee and corporate branding and versatile virtual space for content and business operation.
Building a ‘Verse’
The concept of the metaverse was first proposed by Neal Stephenson in 1992 in his book Snow Crash. He envisions a world where people use their digital avatars to explore the online world. When it comes down to it, what makes a virtual world different from a real-world experience? The answer boils down to immersive storytelling.
Take video games as an example: the essentials of creating an engaging and highly interactive game are graphics, game mechanics, and a detailed story that engages the player and immerses them further into the world. Even the simplest games like Pac man and Super Mario have lore, logic and reasoning to their universe.
Every medium contributes to building this universe, films help us visualize the characters, books give us an insight into the characters, but games give us full control of the character and their story. When it comes to world-building Metaverse follows in the footsteps of video games. An interactive universe, minus character development, contributes to the metaverse’s unique experience.
Building a brand-specific metaverse experience will depend largely on the kind of experience the company wants for their consumer. For the Star Wars launch event which was hosted in Fortnight, the team had the benefit of working with a franchise that is already established in a world and an audience that is privy to its intricate details. The event had the director interact with the fans as they play a game in Fortnite’s meta event. On the other hand, the concert starring Ariana Grande had the same visuals and world that were presented in the music videos.
But apart from entertainment and lifestyle major companies can benefit from having their in-house metaverse. Since the advent of the pandemic, companies welcomed modern work models, namely Remote and Hybrid. Although innovative and safe models, they came with certain communication hurdles. In the Metaverse, a company could create a universe which not only makes communication smoother by having everything necessary and accessible in one exclusive space. It also allows for a unique take on employee branding and gratification.
A recent Qualcomm project by Vivi5 Studios, The Reign of Snapdragon highlights the company’s and its employee’s achievements in the year-end review event. The highlights of the year are gamified and their star employees are shown as characters of the game along with their achievements. Creating a piece of work that not only serves as an in-house employee gratification project but also as a future-forward employee branding film.
Immersive storytelling as such serves as the foundation for an interactive metaverse making it a memorable experience. Since videos have taken centre stage on the internet, companies will need to invest in content that is fluid and can be shared on multiple and dynamic platforms. Animated content will help businesses achieve their goals and transform marketing in the Metaverse.
The future of the ‘Verse’
The Metaverse is still a concept at large. But the kind of interaction that brands are getting from this technology is overall positive and promising. It’s envisioned to provide a creative assembly point for both immersive storytelling and a unique branded experience. The versatile nature of the medium also allows us to extend our universe and make it easily accessible. The metaverse is a future-forward investment for your brands, which has the potential to be expanded into more brand-specific commodities and products.
With a future that allows us to create interactive worlds and unique experiences, Vivi5 looks forward to growing our creative reach. We aspire to immerse our audience with heartfelt storytelling and join in on the meta madness.
Written by – Anisha Das
