a report by wunderman thompson intelligence
Into the
Metaverse
2INTO THE METAVERSE
Emma Chiu
Global director, Wunderman Thompson Intelligence
be accessed. As more people spend time online, digital third spaces are
becoming the new hangouts, making this a thriving environment for brands and
influencers. But the potential of the metaverse goes beyond the digital domain,
allowing for interactions that blur the boundaries of physical and digital.
“Into the Metaverse” explores what the metaverse is, how it’s changing
people’s lives, new opportunities that are being created, and why brands need
to pay attention. The report includes original consumer data by Wunderman
Thompson Data from 3,011 digital participants across the United States,
United Kingdom and China. In addition, 15 experts were interviewed; on
page 13, they offer their take on the metaverse and unpack its potential—and
Wunderman Thompson Intelligence maps out the core elements that make
the metaverse on page 21.
Does the metaverse exist yet? Not quite. However, the seeds are sown—and
it’s just a matter of time.
Welcome to the metaverse. A place where our digital
and physical lives converge; creativit is limitless; and
location-defing worlds bring people together.
Interest in the metaverse has peaked this year—the number of searches for
the word increased more than tenfold from 2020 to 2021, according to Google
Analytics. Media outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post and
the Guardian have all published extensive articles probing its implications.
Companies from Epic Games to Microsoft to Facebook and SK Telecom have
publicly announced plans to build metaverse worlds. Burberry, Coca-Cola,
and Visa are just a few of many brands racing to be part of it.
Why the sudden attention? “In 2020, one thing became very obvious, very
quickly, as COVID-19 began to spread around the world: we leapfrogged five
to seven years in the digital revolution,” Hans Vestberg, CEO of Verizon, said
during his keynote at CES 2021 in January. As COVID-19 restrictions ease,
the acceleration of tech and its prominence in many lives will continue.
• 93% of global consumers agree that technology is our future
• 76% say their everyday lives and activities depend on tech
• Over half (52%) say their happiness depends on it
The virtual domain has become an all-encompassing space where commerce,
education, entertainment, community-building, wellness, work and more can
Foreword
3INTO THE METAVERSE
Contents
Introduction
A primer on AR, VR, MR and XR
15 experts defne the metaverse
Mapping the metaverse
MetaLives
Virtual possessions
Case study: integrating virtual
and physical goods
Connected wellbeing
Digital relationships
The creativit catalyst
MetaSpaces
New virtual venues
Liminal spaces
Digital real estate
Travelportation
MetaBusiness
Gamevertising
Case study: brands stepping into the metaverse
New retail frontiers
The metaverse workforce
Three experts on the potential of the
metaverse
MetaSocieties
Hyper-realistic digital identities
Borderless social networks
Virtual utopia
Decentralized futures
5 brand lessons for entering
the metaverse
Acknowledgements
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About the data in this report
Unless otherwise stated, all findings in this report were collected
by Wunderman Thompson Data as part of an original survey on
technology, digital spaces, and the metaverse.
Introduction
Beeple artwork sold at Christie’s
INTRODUCTION INTO THE METAVERSE 5
As more of our lives are spent online, it’s becoming
harder and harder to distinguish “real” life from life
lived digitally.
Virtual singers, such as Shanghai Henian’s Luo Tianyi, have grown into a
multibillion-dollar industry, your best friend could be an AI bot like Kuki, and
non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have revolutionized digital ownership, with renowned
auction houses Christie’s and Sotheby’s auctioning digital masterpieces for tens
of millions of dollars. “The smartphone is no longer just a device that we use,”
says Daniel Miller, professor of anthropology at University College London. “It’s
become the place where we live.”
We’re replicating our routines, interests and obsessions in digital worlds:
from picking outfits for our avatars to wear and cars for them to drive to
fostering virtual relationships and intimacy; from zoning digital land and
constructing virtual homes to meeting friends at the virtual mall; and from
hosting holographic meetings to pursuing the allure of a more equitable and
inclusive society. As our habits evolve, we’re outgrowing the bounds of the
internet as it was first created—precipitating a new era of digital platforms.
So, “Are we in the metaverse yet?” the New York Times asked in a July 2021
article. “Crypto people say they’re building it. Gamers might already be living
in it. The art world is cashing in on it. But what is it?”
The metaverse, a term first coined in Neal Stephenson’s 1992 sci-fi novel Snow
Crash, is a blending of digital and physical existence. Almost 30 years later, that
definition is taking shape before our eyes. Some call it the new internet, others a
democratized virtual society, yet others the convergence of virtual and physical
realities, persistent virtual spaces, or a digital twin of our own world.
Above: Beeple artwork sold at Christie’s Right, clockwise from top left: Kuki, images
courtesy of ICONIQ AI; The Fungible Collection by Pak, courtesy of Sotheby’s/Pak;
Natively Digital: A Curated NFT Sale, courtesy of Sotheby’s
INTRODUCTION INTO THE METAVERSE 6
What’s clear is that it’s not the internet we were introduced to. It’s the next
iteration—a “successor state to the mobile internet,” wrote Matthew Ball, a
venture capitalist and essayist whose work includes a nine-part primer on the
metaverse. There “will be no clean Before Metaverse and After Metaverse,”
Ball wrote. “Instead, it will slowly emerge over time as different products,
services and capabilities integrate and meld together.” Some indications that
this emergence has begun have been building over the past year, including:
accelerated innovation in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)
technologies; the proliferation of gaming platforms as social and cultural
destinations; and the race for companies to stake a claim on their corner
of the metaverse.
Top to bottom: Oculus by Facebook; Snap Spectacles
INTRODUCTION
Tech-celeration
Consumers’ reliance on tech is growing. More than three-quarters (76%) of
global consumers say their everyday lives and activities depend on technology,
rising to 79% of gen Z (ages 16-26) and 80% of millennials (ages 27-41).
And this dependence is informing every aspect of daily life: 64% of global
consumers say their social life depends on technology, 61% say their livelihood
depends on technology, 56% say their creativity depends on technology, 52%
say their happiness depends on technology, and 50% say their wellbeing
depends on technology.
In response, companies are racing to develop the tech that will power
360-degree digital experiences. In anticipation of immersive spaces powered
by VR and AR, social media giants and big tech companies have been funneling
funds and manpower into these areas. In August 2021, TikTok announced that
it’s building its own AR development platform, called TikTok Effect Studio. A
March 2021 report revealed that Facebook now has 10,000 people—almost a
fifth of all Facebook employees—working on AR and VR under the Reality Labs
division. Snap purchased Vertebrae, which helps brands create 3D virtual
versions of their products, in July 2021, following the May 2021 acquisition
of WaveOptics, the company responsible for the AR display in Snap’s new
Spectacles glasses.
Google Pixel 6’s tensor chip would make “breakthrough” AR experiences,
Google’s director of devices Rick Osterloh told Business Insider. Apple is
rumored to be developing a VR headset, which could hit stores in 2022.
The tech company’s acquisition of VR company NextVR in 2020 sparked
speculation about Apple’s plans to develop AR and VR technologies in
new product categories.
A primer on augmented, virtual,
mixed and extended realities
Augmented reality (AR) is when you’re
still within your current environment, and
you’re just overlaying computer graphics
on top of what you’re seeing—whereas
with virtual reality (VR), you’re taken to
a different world. They are like the
inverse of each other.
Mixed reality (MR) has virtual or digital
elements mixed with physical elements,
as opposed to starting with physical and
then overlaying. Mixed reality is like the
more advanced level of augmented
reality, where the technology is actually
able to recognize your environment
using depth sensors. With AR, whatever
it is that you project, it’s always going to
be overlaid on top of what the camera
sees, but with mixed reality, a digital
object can appear behind the table, as
opposed to in front of the table.
Extended reality (XR) encompasses
everything—augmented, virtual
and mixed.
Helena Dong, creative technologist and
digital designer
Left: Snap Spectacles
Right: Rec Room
INTRODUCTION INTO THE METAVERSE 8
Although China’s government is cracking down on the gaming and tech
industries—in August 2021, the Chinese government announced new bans on
weeknight gaming for minors, limiting online gaming to three hours per week,
and forthcoming laws to regulate domestic tech companies—Chinese tech
leaders have been steadily paving the way to the metaverse over the past few
years. Giants including Tmall, Taobao, and WeChat have established
metaverse precursors in the form of interactive digital malls, while virtual
influencers such as Ling are going mainstream and partnering with top brands
including Tesla. Most recently, TikTok owner ByteDance took its first step into
the metaverse by acquiring VR startup Pico at the end of August 2021, and
earlier in the month Alibaba launched an NFT auction site.
Gaming everything
What do Animal Crossing, Sea of Thieves and Fortnite have in common with a
coffee shop? Increasingly, they’re all places to meet and socialize. “Part of video
games is that social aspect—meeting up with people, communicating—which
is becoming of paramount importance,” Keith Stuart, games editor at the
Guardian, tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. Nearly two-thirds (61%)
of UK adults played games with friends and family to stay in touch during
lockdown, according to a May 2021 survey from Xbox.
Nick Fajt, CEO and cofounder of social gaming startup Rec Room told
GeekWire that he no longer distinguishes between social and gaming platforms.
“Those entities, which probably used to be distinct, we’re seeing them merge
together. I think in a lot of ways gaming is the new social.”
The lines between the gaming and entertainment industries are also blurring.
By 2025, the gaming market could become a $300 billion industry, according
to GlobalData—three times the global film industry’s record high of $101 billion
in 2019. Striking evidence that, especially for younger generations, “gaming is
Ariana Grande’s Rift Tour in Fortnite
INTRODUCTION INTO THE METAVERSE 9
replacing not just old games, but also TV and Netflix,” Daniel Li, partner at
venture capital firm Madrona Venture, told TechCrunch.
Gaming platforms and technologies are already being used to reimagine the
entertainment industry. British broadcaster ITV is offering new viewing channels
through Fortnite Creative mode, recreating its popular gameshow The Void in
Fortnite in July 2021. Netflix created an interactive Stranger Things world in
Roblox in June, merging the worlds of streaming and gaming.
Epic Games’ Fortnite is attempting to create “the entertainment experience of
the future,” according to Donald Mustard, chief creative officer at Epic Games,
bringing together concerts, gameplay and Hollywood. Describing Fortnite,
Mustard told the Verge, “It’s going to be a new medium, where it’s this blended
entertainment experience that has interactive elements.”
In June, Tribeca Film Festival announced a partnership with Epic Games
to bring Unreal Engine, the tech Epic Games uses to develop its games, to
independent filmmakers. “The technology that has powered so many of today’s
most renowned video games is becoming more and more essential to the
production of films and television shows,” explained the festival’s cofounder
and CEO Jane Rosenthal.
“Gaming is replacing not just old
games, but also TV and Netfix”
Daniel Li, partner, Madrona Venture
Facebook Horizon
INTRODUCTION INTO THE METAVERSE 10
Metaverse REIT, a first-of-its-kind real estate investment trust for virtual
assets. And Reed Smith law firm released a legal guide to the metaverse in
May 2021, covering legal issues ranging from intellectual property to privacy
to competition in what the firm calls “the biggest-ever industrial revolution the
world has ever seen.”
As companies compete to enter the metaverse, how will it influence consumer
behaviors and lifestyles? And what are the opportunities for brands and
business? While some of the foundational tools and habits that will form the
emerging building blocks of the metaverse—including a fundamental reliance
on technology—are already established, only 38% of global consumers have
heard of the term. It’s time to truly define what the metaverse is and establish
a roadmap for entry.
Gaming platforms such as Fortnite and Roblox are merging social media,
gameplay and entertainment—offering a first glimpse into what the metaverse
could become. “It’s more than a game,” Matthew Weissinger, vice president of
marketing at Epic Games, said of Fortnite. “We’re building this thing called the
metaverse—a social place.”
The metaspace race
Everyone is now staking their claim on the metaverse, from established players
like Facebook to unexpected entrants such as law firm Reed Smith.
Big tech leaders are rushing to claim the metaverse as their own. Facebook
established a new metaverse division in July 2021 after Mark Zuckerberg
famously announced that Facebook’s future lies in becoming a metaverse
company. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in August 2021 that Microsoft
is working on building the “enterprise metaverse.”
Gaming companies are carving out space for the metaverse on their platforms.
In April 2021, Epic Games closed a $1 billion round of funding to “support
Epic’s long-term vision for the metaverse,” the company said. Nvidia
jumpstarted its “metaverse for engineers” with the opening of Nvidia Omniverse
in August. The platform, which launched in beta in December 2021, will connect
“engineers, designers, and even autonomous machines to create digital twins
and industrial metaverses.”
Even companies in industries that are indirectly related to the creation of the
metaverse—like law and wealth management—are anticipating its growing
value. In June, Roundhill Investments and Matthew Ball launched a metaverse
investment fund, which has holdings in companies including Nvidia, Tencent
and Roblox. In March 2021, the Metaverse Group announced plans to launch
Nvidia Omniverse
INTRODUCTION INTO THE METAVERSE 11
“There will be no clean
Before Metaverse and
Afer Metaverse”
Matthew Ball, venture capitalist
INTRODUCTION INTO THE METAVERSE 12
93%
Technology is our future
People depend on technology in every aspect of their lives
My everyday life and activities depend on technology
Total 76%
79%Gen Z
80%Millennials
75%Gen X
67%Baby boomers
My social life depends
on technology
My livelihood depends
on technology
My creativity depends
on technology
My happiness depends
on technology
64%
My wellbeing depends
on technology
61% 56% 52% 50%
3,011 participants across the United States, United Kingdom and China, fielding from
July 9-July 27, 2021. Survey by Wunderman Thompson Data.
15 experts
define the
metaverse
15 EXPERTS DEFINE THE METAVERSE 14INTO THE METAVERSE
Keith Stuart, games editor,
the Guardian
“A platform-agnostic digital space. The
metaverse is a persistent hub that is user-
defnable. Persistence and user-generated
content will be a big part of it. The future is
about reacting quickly to social situations in
a metaverse world.”
Daren Tsui, CEO, Together Labs
“It is a computer-generated
simulation of a 3D space where users
can interact. The metaverse will have
three key atributes: it needs to have
presence (social presence), it needs
to be persistent (when users come
back there’s some sort of continuit
and not a reboot), and, last and most
important, it needs to be shared
(multiple people will need to be able
to interact in the metaverse).”
A persistent and user-defned virtual space
15 EXPERTS DEFINE THE METAVERSE 15INTO THE METAVERSE
A digital layer of everyday life
Kerry Murphy, founder and CEO, The Fabricant
“The metaverse is just a digital layer of our lives. The metaverse
will exist once everything that we do digitally is completely,
seamlessly connected. So, if I buy a yellow T-shirt in Fortnite,
I get to wear it on Instagram, I get to wear it on Facebook, I get
to have an AR wearing experience, and they’re all completely
interconnected. The metaverse is just an extension of our
physical lives into the digital realm.“
Neha Singh, founder and CEO, Obsess
“The way that we defne the metaverse is that it’s like the virtual
world; it’s going to be our virtual existence. Right now, we have
our real lives and our social media lives—the metaverse will
be one step above that, like our virtual twin, doing all kinds of
activities in the virtual world. You will have a whole existence
that can happen in these virtual environments.”
Jon Morris, CEO, Nowhere
“We’ll be living in the metaverse when 2D user-generated content,
videos and chat evolve to become 3D player-generated experiences.
Imagine Travis Scot, not a pre-recorded cartoon in Fortnite but
actually present and performing live, hovering above you in Times
Square. A digital overlay that augments our lives and current
understanding, a global game that connects us beyond what we
now know, where the vibe and serendipit of an epic festival collide
with the commerce and compression of a vibrant cit, and with the
diversit of a Star Wars cantina at the edge of the galaxy. Technology
can expand the feeling of collective presence beyond real life, where
one can truly be with anyone, anywhere, at any time.“
15 EXPERTS DEFINE THE METAVERSE 16INTO THE METAVERSE
Ryan Mullins, founder and CEO, Aglet
“The metaverse is a new dimension—a virtual dimension that sits on top
of physical realit. I look at it as the next phase of the consumer internet.
We started with [making] webpages machine-readable so we could apply
algorithms to them, aggregate atention, and then advertise. That was the
model that Google perfected. And then there was the monitor-mouse-
keyboard phase; you sat down, you went online, and then you went ofine
and walked around. And then we got to this next phase, which was what
Facebook perfected—making people and social networks machine-readable
so that you can apply algorithms to them and then advertise. That was
mobile-social-cloud, and the separation between online and ofine became
much more blurred. Where we’re going now is this ‘web 3.’ Now it’s about
a spatial web—how does the virtual come of the screen and be baked into
the fabric of realit… it’s really about virtual and physical sharing the same
space; which is just the world.”
A digital layer of everyday life
Carolina Arguelles
Navas, group product
marketing manager,
Snap Inc
“At Snapchat, we think
about a world where
computing is seamlessly
overlaid on the physical
world around us.
The metaverse is an area
where you can take and
see and interact with
things that are both
physically in front of
you and with a digital
content overlay.”
15 EXPERTS DEFINE THE METAVERSE 17INTO THE METAVERSE
A digital twin of the physical world
Leon Ng, founder and CEO, LNG Studios
“It’s a digital twin of our world, but then you can have
endless amounts of worlds. Real transactions can be made
and you can buy real estate, kind of like Second Life.”
Kai Bond, partner,
Courtside Ventures
“It’s a digital representation
of the physical world and
a continuum of time and
space. What does that
mean? It’s where you’re
socializing. I always point
to the Travis Scot concert
in Fortnite as one of the
best examples of what the
metaverse describes.”
15 EXPERTS DEFINE THE METAVERSE 18INTO THE METAVERSE
An interconnected and limitless virtual world
Grant Paterson, head of gaming and
esports, Wunderman Thompson
“It’s the creation of a persistent virtual world,
in which consumers are able to hop between
diferent virtual experiences. It will be powered by
a virtual economy in which there are jobs and the
same sort of financial mechanics that we see in
typical economies. The idea, as venture capitalist
Packy McCormick originally described, is that the
metaverse would eventually be the sort of place
where, as your virtual avatar, you would be able
to go into a Disney store, for example, and buy an
outfit for your avatar to wear, then go to a Nike
store and buy a pair of shoes to be delivered to
you in the physical world, and then pop into a
Spotify or Roblox virtual concert, and then go for a
run with all your friends while listening to that
concert—a run in the real world, but you’re
connected through the metaverse.”
Don Stein, founder,
Roomkey
“The metaverse is a
parallel universe made
up of virtual worlds,
rooms, and people. There
is a virtual economy
which powers activit on
the platform, and each
person feels compelled to
customize their avatar and
space. Over the course
of the next 100 years,
humanit will slowly
move to spending more
of their daily life as an
avatar inside of a virtual
world. This will eventually
manifest in VR headsets
being the most common
computing device.”
15 EXPERTS DEFINE THE METAVERSE 19INTO THE METAVERSE
An interconnected and limitless virtual world
Josh Rush, CEO, Surreal
“In the simplest terms, it’s a fully connected three-dimensional
visualization of the Internet—a virtual world that exists beyond analog.
But no single company, entit or individual owns the measure or limit for
what that experience should—or will—be. There is no Oasis like the one
in Ready Player One. We are all at the Big Bang moment where creation,
consciousness and awareness of the metaverse is being born.”
Philippe Brown, founder,
Brown & Hudson
“The metaverse is an open-source, connected
set of worlds that you can transition
between in a seamless way. The vision of the
metaverse is diferent worlds that you can
move seamlessly between. So let’s say you’re
in Farmville, then you can open a door and
move to Grand Thef Auto.”
Helena Dong, creative
technologist
“When I look at the word metaverse,
I tend to think about the multiverse.
So for me, it almost feels like this
digital multiverse; like we have
a multitude of worlds that exist
and evolve simultaneously across
diferent realities. That pertains to
your tangible realit and also realities
that exist digitally. I think about
the metaverse as this space that
encompasses all kinds of realities.”
15 EXPERTS DEFINE THE METAVERSE 20INTO THE METAVERSE
An extension of physical identities
Alexander Fernandez, CEO and
founder, Streamline Media Group
“The metaverse is where your physical
persona and your digital persona become a
unifed realit. What happens in one afects
the other and vice versa. It’s not a movie, it’s
not Ready Player One. We will have multiple
devices—AR, VR, a refrigerator—all helping
us to augment our abilit to move forward.”
Mapping the
metaverse
The key elements that will characterize the metaverse
MAPPING THE METAVERSE 22INTO THE METAVERSE
Persistent
A place of perpetual
and continuous
existence; life will
continue whether people
are online or offline.
The metaverse is…
Reactive
The virtual environment
and the people inhabiting
it will respond and react to
users’ actions in real-time.
User-defned
Owned and shaped
by the people living,
connecting, creating,
and participating in it.
Creative
A catalyst for creativity
and inspiration, where
people actively engage
with content, rather than
passively consuming it.
Everyday
Seamlessly woven into
our everyday activities
and engagements.
Social
A place to socialize, meet
new people, strengthen
existing relationships, and
create new communities.
Decentralized
Ownership will
be distributed.
Interoperable
Not tied to any one
platform—experiences,
possessions and identities
will travel unchanged
across platforms.
Limitless
There is no cap to the
number of users,
experiences, or worlds.
MetaLives
Daily habits, from the mindful to the mundane, are being transplanted into the
digital realm, giving rise to extended selves and lifestles.
The Fabricant
METALIVES | VIRTUAL POSSESSIONS 24INTO THE METAVERSE
Virtual possessions
Consumers are puting stock in digital ownership,
driving a new wave of virtual products and possessions.
How soon will you be waking up every morning and picking out an outfit for
your avatar before heading out in your virtual car? Sooner than you may think.
According to Krista Kim, the contemporary artist behind the world’s first NFT
digital house, “we will be living in an augmented reality lifestyle within a very
short period.”
Kerry Murphy, founder and CEO of digital fashion house The Fabricant,
believes the transition has already begun. Describing daily digital habits such
as dressing your avatar every morning, he says: “I think in the Western world, a
lot of people already do this—especially people who are avid gamers. But when
is it going to go outside of the gaming realm? Once we start to see interactive
experiences that have daily functional value outside of gaming, beyond just
entertainment.” Murphy defines that “functional value” in areas including work
and socializing, and points to video calls, LinkedIn profile images, and social
media avatars as the kinds of experiences that are starting to push virtualized
daily habits—including picking out a digital outfit—into the mainstream.
The Fabricant, a digital-only couture house focused on “showing the world
that clothing does not need to be physical to exist,” has been seeing a spike
in interest—from both consumers and brands. Alongside its own designs,
including a digital dress that sold for $9,500 in 2019, The Fabricant has worked
with mass-market brands including Adidas, Puma and Tommy Hilfiger.
The Fabricant
METALIVES | VIRTUAL POSSESSIONS 25INTO THE METAVERSE
Auroboros digital couture collection, styled by Sita Abellán, sold on Drest
METALIVES | VIRTUAL POSSESSIONS 26INTO THE METAVERSE
A price tag of $9,500 may seem exorbitant for a dress that doesn’t exist in the
physical world, but consumers are assigning high value to digital possessions.
Global consumers say that, on average, a digital house is worth over $76,000,
an original digital piece of art is worth $9,000, and a digital designer handbag
is worth over $2,900.
Brands are already starting to see the repercussions of this. In February 2021,
NFT marketplace RTFKT sold 600 pairs of digital sneakers in just seven
minutes, generating $ million in sales. In June 2021, a digital-only Gucci bag
sold on Roblox for over $4,000—which is more than the physical bag costs. On
Aglet, a mobile shopping game where users can buy rare sneakers from brands
including Chanel, Nike and Balenciaga, one user has spent $15,000 on virtual
shoes, Fast Company reported.
“It makes sense that virtual objects would have real monetary value,” Aglet
creator Ryan Mullins told Fast Company. “It’s no different from the way we buy
clothes in the real world as a form of self-expression or status.”
Drest
METALIVES | VIRTUAL POSSESSIONS 27INTO THE METAVERSE
New brands dedicated to designing and selling digital-only fashion are coming
to the fore, reflecting the rising value of digital items. “Contactless cyber
fashion” specialist Tribute Brand launched in 2020 with limited-edition digital
clothing drops and custom orders. Luxury fashion house Auroboros released
a digital-only couture collection in January 2021 on Drest, a styling app and
fashion game. Digital fashion house DressX raised $2 million in funding in July
2021 to expand its reach with an NFT marketplace. And Hong-Kong based
BNV (Brand New Vision), an NFT platform where shoppers can trade clothing,
shoes and accessories, recently closed a seed round with billion-dollar
business Animoca Brands.
Established fashion and auto brands—from mass-market to high-end—are
starting to catch on, opting for new direct-to-avatar (DTA) product releases.
Ralph Lauren released a 50-piece digital clothing collection in August 2021,
available for purchase in social networking app Zepeto. American Eagle
announced a digital clothing collection for Bitmoji avatars in July 2021. Gucci
and The North Face released a joint collection for avatars on Pokémon Go in
January 2021. And in March 2021 Gucci released virtual sneakers that can only
be worn with AR, using technology developed by Wanna. Luxury car makers
including Maserati, Aston Martin and Tesla have launched virtual models of
their vehicles in Tencent’s Game for Peace—the Chinese mobile version of
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds—between 2020 and 2021. And Rolls-Royce
unveiled its first virtual car in 2020 for QQ Speed, another Tencent mobile game.
The future of consumerism lies in virtual products, Murphy predicts. “People are
going to start seeing value in digital items and realize that they’d rather interact
with a digital item, or have an infinite wardrobe of digital fashion items but a
very limited wardrobe of physical items.”
Tesla’s virtual car in Tencent’s Game of Peace
METALIVES | VIRTUAL POSSESSIONS 28INTO THE METAVERSE
Why it’s interesting:
Consumers are replicating their physical daily habits in the virtual realm—
assigning a growing value to digital assets. As digital ownership rises, “real-
world brands” need to realize that “the metaverse is a place of mass audiences,
where there’s a true opportunity for brand integration, for brand expansion, and
for brand expression,” Lindsay Anne Aamodt, senior director of marketing at
IMVU—organizer of the first fashion show held in the metaverse—told Vogue.
Case study: Virtual products
can help optimize physical
goods, too, and offer a new
business model for brands.
“The biggest opportunity for physical
goods is virtual goods,” Aglet CEO and
founder Ryan Mullins tells Wunderman
Thompson Intelligence.
“A great example of this: we released
our own brand in the game and our own
sneaker, the Aglet 1. It is now the most
popular sneaker in our game. We can
quantify the demand, and we will be
releasing it as a physical sneaker in
December [2021].
“The amount of engagement and
demand visibility that you get can help
you decide: should we release this, or
not? How many should we release?
Where should we release these,
because of the spatial data?”
“But how do virtual creators connect
the dots from virtual conception to
physical production? That’s where
established brands come in.
“Brands as a service, or manufacturing
as a service, is a really interesting new
business model, when you have these
very big brands that have access to
manufacturing infrastructures, and can
provide that as a service to new brands.
“It’s Adidas as a service—you’re just
opening up infrastructure. That’s what
Yeezy is; it’s just Kanye powered by the
Adidas infrastructure.”
“The biggest opportunit for
physical goods is virtual goods”
Ryan Mullins, founder and CEO, Aglet
METALIVES | VIRTUAL POSSESSIONS 29INTO THE METAVERSE
Virtual possessions
$76,000+
For a digital house
For original digital art
For a digital
designer handbag
$9,000
$2,900+
The value of digital goods
On average, consumers would be willing to pay…
3,011 participants across the United States, United Kingdom and China, fielding from
July 9-July 27, 2021. Survey by Wunderman Thompson Data.
EndeavorRx by Akili Interactive
METALIVES | CONNECTED WELLBEING 30INTO THE METAVERSE
Connected wellbeing
From prescription gaming to VR pharmacies, digital
therapeutics are earning medical backing—cueing up a
new class of meta-medicine that brings a dimension of
physicalit to digital tools.
Turning to tech for recreational release is nothing new; but consumers are
starting to find tangible wellbeing benefits from tech use: 81% of global
consumers say they “switch on” to unwind, and over half say they are physically
(55%) and mentally (56%) healthier thanks to technology.
Doctors can now prescribe video games to treat cognitive dysfunction. In June
2020, EndeavorRx by Akili Interactive was approved by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), making it the first-ever prescription-strength video game.
The game was originally created to treat ADHD in children; after following the
recommended regime of 25 minutes’ play per day, five days per week for one
month, one in three kids treated “no longer had a measurable attention deficit
on at least one measure of objective attention,” Akili revealed. And in April
2021, the digital therapeutic company partnered with Weill Cornell Medicine,
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center to
evaluate the game as a treatment for COVID-19 patients experiencing brain fog.
In August 2021, Revery raised $2 million in funding to improve mental health
with mobile gaming techniques. The company, founded in March 2021, has
plans to launch an app that combines cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia
Left: EndeavorRx by Akili Interactive
Right: Neuroscape at the University of California San Francisco
METALIVES | CONNECTED WELLBEING 31INTO THE METAVERSE
Michael Moskowitz, CEO of Moodrise, believes that digital content—when
administered properly—has the power to boost emotional resilience, combat
cognitive drift, and maximize human health, potential and happiness. “Content
is not story,” he explains. “Content is actually chemistry, packaged through the
prism of narrative, with tremendous curative potential.”
The best bet for cultivating healthy habits within the metaverse is to direct
people “away from encounters that trigger norepinephrine (a stress hormone
and neurotransmitter triggered by rage-based content) and point them toward
experiences in this new digital world that are just as compelling, but engineered
to produce sensations of calm, tranquility, connection, kindness and hope,”
Moskowitz explains.
Why it’s interesting:
More people are switching on tech for health benefits, giving rise to a new class
of “techceuticals,” fusing physical wellbeing and digital lives and encouraging
proper digital hygiene in the metaverse.
with mobile gaming concepts. The company is starting with sleep, “but the goal
is to build multiple games for other wellness indications as well,” cofounder
Tammie Siew told TechCrunch.
Scientists at UC San Francisco’s Neuroscape brain research center are
using VR video games to boost seniors’ memories. The first-of-its-kind virtual
reality video game, called Labryinth-VR, can improve memory in older adults,
according to a January 2021 study published in Scientific Reports.
VR offers a wide range of proven health benefits. It can help lower blood
pressure, treat eating disorders and obesity, combat anxiety, cure PTSD,
and ease the pain of childbirth, according to Brennan Spiegel, director of one
of the largest therapeutic VR programs in the world at the Cedars-Sinai Medical
Center in Los Angeles. In the near future, Spiegel hopes to see “VR
pharmacies” staffed with “virtualists” who administer targeted doses of VR to
treat specific maladies, as described in his book VRx: How Virtual Therapeutics
Will Revolutionize Medicine.
METALIVES | CONNECTED WELLBEING 32INTO THE METAVERSE
Connected wellbeing
I switch on digitally to unwind I am physically healthier thanks to technology
I am mentally healthier thanks to technology
To
ta
l
8
1%
8
8
%
G
en
Z
8
5
%
M
ill
en
ni
al
s
79
%
G
en
X
6
6
%
B
ab
y
bo
om
er
s
55%
3,011 participants across the United States, United Kingdom and China, fielding from
July 9-July 27, 2021. Survey by Wunderman Thompson Data.
56%
No Man’s Sky
METALIVES | DIGITAL RELATIONSHIPS 33INTO THE METAVERSE
Digital relationships
Is there a digital key to long-lasting and healthy
human relationships?
“Social media has prepared us for this moment of meeting friends through
technology,” Keith Stuart, games editor at the Guardian, tells Wunderman
Thompson Intelligence. And now, as more of our daily lives move online,
digital platforms are becoming places where users go to foster friendship
and deepen intimacy.
83% of global consumers believe that technology brings people together and,
in China, 84% say that technology has deepened their relationships with friends
and family.
Games especially are becoming key places for meeting people: 76% of UK
adults think online gaming is a good way to bond and make connections with
people, according to a May 2021 survey from Xbox. “If you look at games like
Fortnite, Sea of Thieves, No Man’s Sky, these have become places that people
go—like a golf course, a skatepark or a theme park,” Stuart says. Over the last
year in particular, games have evolved into “an accelerated and more
complicated social experience.”
Games are incorporating elements to nurture connection and kindness among
players. Epic Games’ Rocket League is designed around team play, and lets
users create in-game clubs that bring up to 20 people together to bond outside
of gameplay. Sky: Children of the Light invites users to participate in random
acts of kindness, such as sending users gifts, boosting their powers, and even
Sky: Children of the Light
METALIVES | DIGITAL RELATIONSHIPS 34INTO THE METAVERSE
Raspberry Dream Labs
METALIVES | DIGITAL RELATIONSHIPS 35INTO THE METAVERSE
hugging them. Kind Words is a nontraditional game where users write letters
to strangers, asking for advice or offering support on topics ranging from
relationship struggles to study habits.
IMVU, a “3D avatar-based friendship discovery and social platform,” has 25,000
greeters who help new users connect by friending them and introducing them
to others. “Making friends is not an exact science, but there are ingredients that
we know and if we then foster like a petri dish, we can foster friendship,” says
Tsui. “We gamified it: conversation starters, ice breakers, the more you play, the
more you’re getting to know other people.”
Digital platforms are even helping couples deepen their intimacy. Raspberry
Dream Labs is reframing cybersex experiences to form meaningful connections.
Its first project, Sensory Seduction, uses extended reality (XR) to allow users to
feel haptic pulses on their bodies, mimicking the sensation of being touched.
The experience is designed to offer an opportunity to “explore your sensuality
and engage your sexual accelerators through the sensory stimulation.” The
company has released a beta version of Raspberry Dream Land, an XR social
event platform offering a virtual space for “radical self-expression, progressive
arts and entertainment, social interactions and virtual relationships.”
Why it’s interesting:
Tech is helping people connect more deeply, giving rise to close friendships and
intimate relationships developed virtually. As the metaverse evolves, emotional
elements will be key drivers for engagement (see MetaSocieties, page 79). “It’s
that shared experience that I think people are craving,” Jessica Freeman, head
of marketing at Minecraft, said at the Making Friends in the Metaverse panel in
January 2021. “It used to be that kids would meet on the playground after school.
But as that’s not possible now, they’re meeting up in Minecraft to connect
socially and to catch up. It has become this kind of virtual recess that they need.”
“Social media has prepared us
for this moment of meeting
friends through technology”
Keith Stuart, games editor, the Guardian
METALIVES | DIGITAL RELATIONSHIPS 36INTO THE METAVERSE
Digital relationships in China
Technology has deepened relationships
with my friends and family
Technology helps create and
promote empathy
84% 87%
1,003 participants in China, fielding from July 9-July 27, 2021.
Survey by Wunderman Thompson Data.
METALIVES | THE CREATIVITY CATALYST 37INTO THE METAVERSE
The creativit catalyst
Digital engagement is moving from passive
consumption to active creation—shifing creative
power to the user.
“For generation alpha and generation Z, customization and creation is
an intricate part of their gaming experience,” Keith Stuart, games editor
at the Guardian, tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. “For them,
customization and the play element is part of the same thing—
self-expression and exploration.”
What started with gaming is now moving onto other digital platforms—and
coming to define the online experience.
Snapchat believes that creativity is the driving force propelling the future
of digital engagement. As a user, “you’re not creating content that people
consume, you’re creating content that people then create with,” Carolina
Arguelles Navas, group product marketing manager at Snap Inc, tells
Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. “That’s really powerful. You’re putting
out a piece of content that everyone personalizes and has a personal
experience with.”
This momentum is spurred on by what she refers to as the snowball effect of
digital creativity: “The biggest opportunity with AR is that it is a catalyst for
Image courtesy of Helena Dong
Left: IMVU, Together Labs
Right: The Fabricant
METALIVES | THE CREATIVITY CATALYST 38INTO THE METAVERSE
other people to now create content with that AR experience you’ve developed;
then they are sharing it with their group of friends and their group of friends are
unlocking that and sharing. You’ve created a catalyst where you’re scaling
creation on your behalf.”
This focus on creativity is coming to define the entire ecosystem of digital life,
informing everything from status to fashion (see Virtual possessions, page 24).
IMVU revolves around creativity, Daren Tsui, CEO of the social app and its
parent company Together Labs, tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence.
“There are over 200,000 creators on our platform. Over the years we’ve
amassed 15 million items in our catalog,” almost all of which are user-driven,
Tsui says. “We create %; everything else is done by creators.”
IMVU calls creativity “the new status symbol” for the next digital era—
dethroning influence and income. When users come onto the platform, “making
money is not the most important thing for them. It’s about being recognized for
their creations,” Tsui explains.
METALIVES | THE CREATIVITY CATALYST 39INTO THE METAVERSE
Arguelles Navas points to Snap creators such as Ommy Akhe as “the next
version of a fashion designer—this merge of a creator and technologist coming
together. One of the newer experiences that she’s been working on is powered
by brand-new tech we’ve just released, which allows you to build an AR
experience that is triggered based on what the camera is recognizing in real
time… a digital fashion experience where your top changes based on what is
around you.”
When designing virtual clothing, “we’re not bound by physical limitations like
gravity and material durability,” The Fabricant’s Kerry Murphy tells Wunderman
Thompson Intelligence—unlocking a new dimension for designers and
creatives. “The digital world gives a space for a new wave of creativity, using
materials that go beyond fabric, like water, smoke or light,” cofounder Amber
Slooten says.
Digital tools have “activated an entirely new world” of creativity—one where
“creations can transcend physical limitations,” Helena Dong, creative
technologist and digital designer, tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence.
Consumers around the globe agree: 91% believe that technology opens up a
whole new world of creation. When designing digitally, “it’s the cliché that your
imagination is the only limitation,” Murphy says. “If you can think it, you can
make it.”
Why it’s interesting:
Online habits are evolving. As stated by The Fabricant, in the digital world
“people are not passive consumers, but creative agents crafting their self-
expression and curating their virtual identity.” This creative agency is laying
the foundation for a next-gen virtual world full of inspiration, individuality
and imagination.
Ommy Akhe, @autonommy, courtesy of Snapchat
METALIVES | THE CREATIVITY CATALYST 40INTO THE METAVERSE
The creativit catalyst
Technology opens up a whole
new world of creation
91%
Digital crafsmanship requires the same amount of
talent and expertise as physical crafsmanship
75%
90%68%
65%
Total United States
ChinaUnited Kingdom
3,011 participants across the United States, United Kingdom and China, fielding from
July 9-July 27, 2021. Survey by Wunderman Thompson Data.
MetaSpaces
Traditional gathering spaces are evolving, redefning what a home,
an event and a vacation can be in the meta-era
Top: Lil Nas X concert in Roblox
Bottom: Ariana Grande’s Rift Tour in Fortnite
METASPACES | NEW VIRTUAL VENUES 42INTO THE METAVERSE
New virtual venues
Virtual venues are evolving beyond video games into
destinations—seting the scene for the next era of
events, socializing and networking.
Traditional gaming platforms are morphing from singular game environments
into social spaces and massive global venues. Video games have become a
“highly social, highly organized, highly cooperative, collaborative and creative
medium,” Keith Stuart, games editor at the Guardian, tells Wunderman
Thompson Intelligence—transforming them into “games as a space rather than
a specific game experience.”
The majority of global respondents are already open to digital events: 62% say
attending a digital concert sounds appealing, and 63% say attending a digital
stage performance, including plays and musicals, also sounds appealing.
Over the past year, video games have emerged as popular concert venues
for huge global audiences. Travis Scott’s ground-breaking April 2020
Astronomical concert, set in Fortnite, attracted million viewers at the
peak of the live event, according to developer Epic Games. In the days following
the event, another million unique viewers watched the performance through
the platform. In November 2020, Lil Nas X held a concert on Roblox with
33 million viewers, while in August 2021, Ariana Grande headlined the Rift
Tour concert in Fortnite, which attracted over one million viewers at the peak
of its first concert.
SXSW 2021
METASPACES | NEW VIRTUAL VENUES 43INTO THE METAVERSE
Left: SXSW 2021
Bottom: Roomkey, image courtesy of Facebook
METASPACES | NEW VIRTUAL VENUES 44INTO THE METAVERSE
The latest virtual events are moving beyond existing gaming locations. For its
2021 conference, South by South West (SXSW) created a meticulous virtual
rendering of downtown Austin with augmented game-like elements. The virtual
destination, accessed via a computer screen or VR headset and attended
as a virtual avatar, allowed over 100,000 attendees to navigate between film
screenings, rooftop happy hours, theatrical performances and keynote
sessions. Organizers aimed to recreate the spontaneity of traditional in-person
festivals, and this was boosted by interactive elements including costume
contests, axe throwing, a selfie stand, go-kart rides, and drone tours providing
a bird’s-eye view of the entire festival and virtual downtown.
Virtual venues are also playing host to smaller, more intimate gatherings.
Roomkey’s Social Entrepreneurship Festival in May 2021, hosted by Twitter
cofounder Biz Stone, invited 40 people to network and mingle between
Whether host to fve or fve
million, virtual venues ofer a
new destination for gatherings
and hangouts—reimagining
the future of events and
experiences.
Left: Dezeen Club
Right: Eschaton’s virtual nightclub
METASPACES | NEW VIRTUAL VENUES 45INTO THE METAVERSE
sessions. Attendees were able to gesture and speak with their avatars and
navigate between tables as though they were meeting others in person.
Dezeen, the architecture and design publication, opened its own virtual social
club in April 2021, when it hosted a metaverse- and design-themed panel
discussion at a virtual rooftop bar. At Eschaton’s virtual nightclub, attendees
can maneuver through immersive theatre performances, cabaret bars and even
interactive games. The event’s producer Tessa Whitehead, from Chorus
Productions, and coproducer Brittany Blum want to create virtual events that
incorporate the best of the virtual and physical worlds. “We can find this more
interesting, complex and nuanced balance between virtual life and in-person
life,” Whitehead told Dezeen.
Why it’s interesting:
Whether host to five or five million, virtual venues offer a new destination for
gatherings and hangouts—reimagining the future of events and experiences.
METASPACES | NEW VIRTUAL VENUES 46INTO THE METAVERSE
New virtual venues
Digital movie viewing
sounds appealing to me
78%
Atending a digital concert
sounds appealing to me
Atending a digital play or
musical sounds appealing to me
63%
62%
METASPACES | NEW VIRTUAL VENUES 47INTO THE METAVERSE
The appeal of atending virtual events rises signifcantly for those who are familiar with the metaverse
Heard of metaverse Never heard of metaverse
Digital movie viewing
87%
73%
Digital business conference
74%
55%
Digital play or musical
76%
54%
Digital sporting evening
68%
44%
Digital cocktail party
50%
25%
Q: How appealing or not appealing do each of the following digital events sound to you personally?
New virtual venues
Digital concert
78%
54%
The Looking Glass by Acute Art, The Shed and High Line Art
METASPACES | LIMINAL SPACES 48INTO THE METAVERSE
Liminal spaces
Alongside the rise of fully virtual venues and spaces,
extended realit (XR) is transforming physical spaces
for a new category of blended events, built equally
around digital and physical elements.
Surreal, a platform for hybrid events that combine virtual experiences and
physical spaces, launched in March 2021. To make its experiences feel even
more lifelike, the brand partnered with DNABlock to create bespoke, hyper-
realistic 3D avatars and give up to 50,000 participants a personalized social and
interactive experience. Built with Unreal Engine, Surreal “enables realistic, real-
time 3D rendering” for events that can be “configured into any environment—
real or imagined.”
In New York City, AR art is breaking through screens. High Line Art and cultural
institution The Shed collaborated to create The Looking Glass, an AR exhibition
of virtual sculptures located along the High Line. In July and August 2021,
onlookers could use the Acute Art app to view artwork projected onto the
world around them, ranging from static, traditional sculptures to pieces that
incorporated sound and movement. Artist Olafur Eliasson, whose work was
included in the installation, told the New York Times that he viewed the pieces
as an “extension of reality.”
Tokyo-based TeamLab renders interactive digital art installations that move
and transform in response to visitors’ movements. “There are no boundaries
Left: The Surreal platform
Right: SuperReal at Cipriani, image courtesy of Moment Factory
METASPACES | LIMINAL SPACES 49INTO THE METAVERSE
between visitors and the artwork,” Takashi Kudo, communications director at
TeamLab, tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. “We invite people to be part
of the artwork. More will happen with more interaction from people.” At the
most recent installations, located in Tokyo and San Francisco, the reactive art is
reminiscent of a digital kaleidoscope. In July 2021, TeamLab’s Borderless digital
art museum in Tokyo earned a spot in the Guinness World Records as the most
visited museum dedicated to a single group or artist in the world.
New York City’s historical locale Cipriani hosted a SuperReal light-projection
production from June to September 2021. The original interactive art was
paired with surround sound for a 360-degree experience that simultaneously
engages the senses.
SuperReal at Cipriani, image courtesy of Moment Factory
METASPACES | LIMINAL SPACES 50INTO THE METAVERSE
“The metaverse is going
to become part of our
physical lives”
Kerry Murphy, founder and CEO, The Fabricant
Dream by the Royal Shakespeare Company
METASPACES | LIMINAL SPACES 51INTO THE METAVERSE
In March 2021, the Royal Shakespeare Company staged a production unlike
any other. Dream, inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is a digital
interactive performance featuring live actors. The immersive show incorporates
light and technology to transform the actors on stage and bring the audience
into the production for an almost game-like experience. Audience members
could participate as fireflies, as the actors colluded in a nonlinear storyline
production, offering a new formula for blended performances.
Why it’s interesting:
Liminal spaces—blended virtual and physical experiences—are already
successfully revolutionizing the culture and art scenes. In future, expect to see
similar blurred reality activations in retail spaces, brand hubs and business
centers. “The metaverse is going to become part of our physical lives,” says
Kerry Murphy, founder and CEO of digital fashion house The Fabricant.
Mars House
METASPACES | DIGITAL REAL ESTATE 52INTO THE METAVERSE
Digital real estate
Land in the digital world is being zoned, sold and
developed as people setle into their virtual lives.
A virtual real-estate surge began in March 2021 with the sale of Mars House,
the world’s first digital home, for $500,000. Krista Kim, the digital artist who
designed it, told CNN that “sweeping changes and ideas of how we will live with
digital assets are becoming a reality, and will create a global paradigm shift.”
Upland—a block-chain-based game offering virtual land which is mapped to
the physical world—had sold one million virtual properties as of June 2021,
and Decentraland sold a plot for $913,000 in the same month, which marked
a high for the platform. The Sandbox allows users to buy pieces of land, and
to develop and monetize virtual property as they would physical real estate.
The platform’s sales records were broken in February 2021 when 2,352
plots were sold for a combined cost of $ million, raising its total land value
to $37 million.
Looking for guidance, crypto-investors are turning to emerging virtual real-
estate brokers and specialists. In March 2021, the Metaverse Group announced
plans to launch Metaverse REIT, a first-of-its-kind real-estate investment trust
for virtual assets. Jason Cassidy, cofounder of Metaverse Group, spoke of the
firm’s desire to lower the barrier of entry for larger developers who want
exposure to the metaverse but “don’t know where to start.”
Upland
METASPACES | DIGITAL REAL ESTATE 53INTO THE METAVERSE
Cassidy believes these types of offerings are helping to bring the metaverse into
mainstream consciousness. “Metaverses truly do give the user the freedom to
create, explore, have fun, and engage in various types of business, all in one
virtual space,” he said.
As more virtual land is bought and built on, prices are rising and availability is
shrinking, similar to real estate trends in the physical world. Questions are now
being raised about whether a virtual zoning board would benefit the metahome
industry. As more people enter the metaverse and purchase virtual real estate,
a zoning board could standardize procedures and settle disputes.
Why it’s interesting:
The virtual real-estate market is heating up, signaling rising interest among
users to own and develop their own slice of the metaverse—and potentially
teeing up a whole new market for the purchase, development and management
of virtual properties.
“Sweeping changes and ideas
of how we will live with
digital assets are becoming a
realit, and will create a global
paradigm shif”
Krista Kim, digital artist
Microsoft Flight Simulator, image courtesy of Microsoft
METASPACES | TRAVELPORTATION 54INTO THE METAVERSE
Travelportation
Technology is enabling teleportation—not a sci-f
fantasy, but an immersive sensory experience that
brings travelers as close as possible to a physical
destination without actually being there.
In Microsoft Flight Simulator’s latest update, passengers have views of the
entire world. What started as an educational tool for new pilots is now being
repurposed for tourism, illustrating the growing demand for virtual travel. Using
AI and data from OpenStreetMap, artists portray regional architecture and
popular tourist attractions just as they would appear in the physical world,
making for an undeniably realistic experience.
Travel guides are merging tech with traditional travel for enhanced experiences.
Launched in June 2021, JourneeBox offers a subscription-based travel
experience that combines physical souvenirs and activities with virtual lessons,
workshops and cultural interactions. Technology is making faraway destinations
more accessible. Swedish travel company Lights over Lapland has introduced
virtual tours, inviting anyone with a headset to experience the northern lights,
an ice hotel and sledding trails. In the Faroe Islands, locals lead live tours for
travelers tuning in through a screen, and luxury South African company
&Beyond offers safari livestreams and Zoom sessions with local rangers.
Lights over Lapland, image courtesy of
METASPACES | TRAVELPORTATION 55INTO THE METAVERSE
55% of Chinese
respondents
say a virtual
vacation sounds
appealing
Left: Faroe Islands Remote Tourism
Right: &Beyond uses images of real, rather than virtual, safaris
METASPACES | TRAVELPORTATION 56INTO THE METAVERSE
How will this look in the future? Philippe Brown, founder of luxury travel
company Brown & Hudson, has high hopes for the possibilities that virtual travel
brings. “There could be a situation where a future virtual-travel professional
asks the customer when they want to travel,” Brown says. However, they won’t
be asking for the departure and return dates, but for the era they would like to
visit, such as London in the 1970s or Ancient Egypt. “The idea of time travel is
part of virtual travel.”
Brown also envisions bite-sized travel as something to be enjoyed after dinner
instead of watching a show, or during a lunch break. “Microdosing” travel
experiences could be beneficial to an employee’s wellbeing in an office setting,
for example. “A company might buy a cubicle that immerses all of the traveler’s
senses: sea smells, sand under your feet, the sun’s heat on your head. Staff
could use the experience to disconnect,” Brown imagines. “You could
create a universe that allows people to go in and exercise their minds in a
gamified setting.”
Brown & Hudson will be one step closer to turning these ideas into a reality
when it adds a virtual travel offering to its website in 2021, with the help of
software company Immersiv, Brown reveals.
Why it’s interesting:
“The convergence of different technologies into the virtual realm could create a
serious and exciting alternative to the reality of travel,” Brown explains—opening
the door to travel experiences that are less cost-prohibitive, more accessible
and more imaginative.
MetaBusiness
Business in the metaverse is already booming—opening up an abundance of
opportunities for brands, advertisers, retailers and employers.
Top: Vans World in Roblox
Bottom: Hyundai Mobility Adventure in Roblox. Image courtesy of Hyundai Motor
METABUSINESS | GAMEVERTISING 58INTO THE METAVERSE
Gamevertising
Bigger than the movie and music industries combined,
gaming has become a playground for brands and
marketers to connect with an engaged audience.
When Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons took over screens in spring
2020, companies across a variety of sectors saw it as an opportunity to create
in-game branded presences, with Net-a-Porter, Netflix, Hellmann’s and Ally
Financial hiring gamers to design branded islands for them. Other thriving
games including Fortnite and Roblox, which attract millions of active players,
are dialing up brand partnerships as companies seek to enter the gamesphere.
Ferrari dropped its latest model, the 296 GTB, into Fortnite in July 2021, and
Roblox are teaming up with a number of brands including Vans for a Vans World
skatepark experience in September 2021 and Hyundai Motor to launch a
metaspace Hyundai Mobility Adventure in October 2021. Minigames on WeChat
have been gaining brands’ attention in China, with Burberry, Dior and Valentino
all having a presence.
Digital natives are driving the move to digital marketing channels. “Gen Z is a
generation that is nightmarishly difficult to reach through traditional platforms
and pipelines,” Keith Stuart, games editor at the Guardian, tells Wunderman
Thompson Intelligence. “They’re not watching terrestrial television, they’re not
listening to radio, they’re not reading magazines—so a lot of the traditional ways
METABUSINESS | GAMEVERTISING 59INTO THE METAVERSE
Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow by Balenciaga and Streamline Media Group
Top: Burberry x Mythical Games NFT collection in Blankos Block Party
Bottom: Stella Artois Limited Edition NFT Collection in collaboration with Zed Run
METABUSINESS | GAMEVERTISING 60INTO THE METAVERSE
of marketing to young people are gone forever. Gaming is where they are.”
The in-game advertising market size is expected to grow by $ billion
between 2020 and 2024 according to a 2021 report by research company
Technavio. “There’s something very unique about the growth of gaming
as a marketing platform,” Grant Paterson, head of gaming and esports at
Wunderman Thompson, explains. “We talk about gaming as being the nexus
of a new consumer paradigm.”
Now brands are showing off their gaming know-how by creating their own
offerings and wrapping gaming capabilities into their entertainment and
advertising strategies. Balenciaga released its fall 2021 collection with its video
game debut Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow, created by Streamline Media
Group. Players navigate a futuristic world, passing other characters who are
wearing the luxury brand’s latest designs.
Alexander Fernandez, CEO and cofounder of Streamline Media Group, tells
Wunderman Thompson Intelligence that the Balenciaga game is a “model for
product discovery.” He also believes that it’s not a big leap to include the ability
to purchase items, offer customer service or add other elements, all in one
place. “It’s the future of commerce. None of this is rocket science. This is just
happening around us.”
Beyond gaming, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have put a new lens on digital
ownership, and brands are seizing the opportunities. Burberry partnered with
Mythical Games in August 2021 for a NFT collection in their flagship multiplayer
game, Blankos Block Party. Items include Burberry branded jetpack and pool
shoes. In June 2021, Stella Artois teamed up with Zed Run for a horse-racing
experience where users could buy, sell and breed digital racehorses using
NFTs. Coca-Cola auctioned its first NFT collectables in summer 2021 fetching
“Gaming takes
you to another
world, brings a
sense of wonder
and requires a
suspension of
disbelief.”
Alexander Fernandez, CEO and cofounder,
Streamline Media Group
Left: Coca-Cola’s friendship-inspired NFT collectables
Right: Ifland by SK Telecom
METABUSINESS | GAMEVERTISING 61INTO THE METAVERSE
going to be a “marketing battle ground for companies,” naming Facebook Horizon
as an example. “In the future, we are going to see online persistent, massively
multiplayer game worlds where advertisers and marketers are going to have to
claim space, but how they do that is going to be very complex.”
Why it’s interesting:
Gaming is not simply another media. “The nature of that deep relationship is
different from passive consumption of media,” says Fernandez. “It takes you to
another world, brings a sense of wonder and requires a suspension of disbelief.
It’s psychologically more engaging.” These gaming traits of engagement
and interactivity are already being tapped by brands, not just to market and
entertain but also to educate consumers and even to design products, where
players’ choices influence a product’s form.
over half a million dollars. The wearables were available on Decentraland, and
proceeds from the auction went to the Special Olympics organization.
The metaverse is an increasingly popular place for brands to build or be part of
(see the Metaspace race, page 10). SK Telecom in South Korea unveiled Ifland,
a metaverse for social VR, virtual meetups and events. The mobile carrier
believes Ifland will be a rich virtual space for businesses to market themselves
and a place to meet with consumers.
Gaming has evolved dramatically, progressively moving towards spaces where
people meet and hang out rather than simply providing a singular game experience.
Stuart explains that “we’re getting games which are more virtual persistent spaces,
so worlds people can add to continuously.” He believes these virtual worlds are
METABUSINESS | GAMEVERTISING 62INTO THE METAVERSE
Gamevertising
Brands will need to have a digital
presence to be successful in the future
I prefer to engage with brands digitally
I expect most brands to have seamless
technology capabilities and platforms
I feel that I have a closer relationship with
brands that have a strong digital presence
It’s easier to relate to brands that
have a digital presence
85%
62%66%
73%82%
3,011 participants across the United States, United Kingdom and China, fielding from
July 9-July 27, 2021. Survey by Wunderman Thompson Data.
METABUSINESS | GAMEVERTISING 63INTO THE METAVERSE
Gamevertising
I feel I have a closer relationship with brands
that have a strong digital presence
It’s easier to relate to brands that have a
digital presence
If a brand doesn’t have a digital presence
I would probably forget about it
Gen Z
66%
61%
76%
3,011 participants across the United States, United Kingdom and China, fielding from
July 9-July 27, 2021. Survey by Wunderman Thompson Data.
METABUSINESS | GAMEVERTISING 64INTO THE METAVERSE
Gamevertising
Most digitally advanced brands, ranked (United States + United Kingdom)
Amazon 75%
62%Google
59%Netflix
51%Apple
47%Microsoft
Spotify 36%
Samsung 35%
Disney 30%
Verizon 30%
3,011 participants across the United States, United Kingdom and China, fielding from
July 9-July 27, 2021. Survey by Wunderman Thompson Data.
METABUSINESS | GAMEVERTISING 65INTO THE METAVERSE
Gamevertising
Most digitally advanced brands, ranked (China)
Alipay 79%
77%WeChat
67%Taobao
66%Douyin
61%Tmall
Bilibili 45%
Xiaohongshu 43%
NetEase Cloud Music 42%
Dianping 31%
Left: Oculus by Facebook. Middle: Ariana Grande's Rift Tour in Fortnite. Right: WeChat
METABUSINESS | CASE STUDY 66INTO THE METAVERSE
Facebook
Sub-companies: Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus VR,
Workplace, Novi, Portal, Messenger
Plans for the metaverse: Mark Zuckerberg announced
Facebook’s plans to become a metaverse company at the end
of July 2021. He defined the metaverse as “a virtual
environment where you can be present with people in digital
spaces.” The announcement was swiftly followed by the
establishment of a new product team to bring the vision to
fruition. “I believe the metaverse will be the successor to the
mobile internet,” Zuckerberg said. “Creating this product group
is the next step in our journey to help build it.”
Its transition: From social media to the metaverse
Our analysis: Facebook is ramping up its tech capabilities by
investing in virtual reality and gaming. The company’s presence
in the metaverse reinforces the belief that social interaction and
connection will be at the forefront of the metaverse, and of
digital communication as we know it.
Epic Games
Sub-companies: Fortnite, Unreal Engine
Plans for the metaverse: Epic Games raised $1 billion in
funding toward its own vision of the metaverse in April 2021. Its
stated mission: “to advance the state of the art in technology,
entertainment, and socially connected online services.”
Having hosted virtual concerts with massive audiences
(including the Rift Tour on Fortnite) and being home to widely
played titles (such as Battle Breakers, Shadow Complex and
Spyjinx), the company has already begun the transition from
traditional gaming to metagaming.
Its transition: From gaming to metagaming
Our analysis: If its extensive current offering is any indication,
Epic Games is surely prepared to set the foundation for a
revolutionized gaming world in the metaverse. Building on the
technology it already has, the company has its virtual foot in
the door to digital interactions and experiences.
Tencent
Sub-companies: Sumo Group, Weixin, WeChat, Riot Games,
Supercell
Plans for the metaverse: Tencent’s ownership of WeChat
gives the brand direct management of virtual payments,
retail, and broader digital transactions in the metaverse. The
company also has full or partial ownership of gaming giants
including Sumo Group, Epic Games, Bluehole and Ubisoft, an
interesting addition to its broader focus on fintech, advertising,
cloud computing, and self-described “technology for good.”
Ultimately, Tencent’s ownership of the largest digital
transaction app presents a huge economic advantage for
the brand in the metaverse.
Its transition: From messaging and payments to the
metaverse
Our analysis: Its stated mission to “collaborate for the
sustainable development of society” may or may not play a role
in its larger plans for the metaverse. Right now, the brand’s
venture in WeChat’s digital transactions, advertising, and social
commerce within the metaverse indicate that the company will
have a well-rounded role in metacommerce development.
A case study: exploring how three companies are stepping into the metaverse.
Obsess
METABUSINESS | NEW RETAIL FRONTIERS 67INTO THE METAVERSE
New retail frontiers
Digital-twin stores and augmented shopping
experiences are paving the way for the next retail
frontier—one that is intuitive, immersive and engaging.
The rapidly evolving digital space is radically impacting all industries and
retail is at the forefront of this change. According to IBM’s 2020 US Retail Index,
the pandemic has accelerated the shift away from physical stores to digital
shopping by approximately five years. Ecommerce is having to step up its
game quickly.
“Discovery is typically happening in retail stores or on Instagram. It’s not really
happening on brands’ websites,” Neha Singh, founder and CEO of virtual store
developer Obsess, tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. Singh adds that
Obsess aims to change that with a “more engaging, more visual and branded”
approach to presenting products, as well as offering an “organic and natural
way for customers to discover products and learn about them.”
Online shopping experiences are starting to notch up ecommerce engagement,
while looking more like physical stores. Obsess collaborated with skincare
brand Dermalogica in July 2021, launching an immersive VR store that visitors
navigate like a physical shop. In March 2021, Burberry collaborated with Elle
Digital Japan for a digital replica modeled after its Ginza store, and in February
2021 Tumi debuted its 360-degree virtual store, which had an AR overlay
allowing shoppers to place life-sized product renderings into their homes.
Burberry Ginza-inspired virtual store in collaboration with Elle Digital
METABUSINESS | NEW RETAIL FRONTIERS 68INTO THE METAVERSE
While they are used to mimic physical stores, digital spaces are borderless,
which opens an abundance of creative opportunities. “Brands can push the
boundaries of creativity in the metaverse and offer experiences that are
unrepeatable in real life,” Christina Wooton, vice president of brand partnerships
at Roblox, told Dezeen. “For Gucci Garden, we opened up the ceiling of one
room to show the sky. There are butterflies flying around and flowers growing
on mannequins’ heads. You can’t do this in the real-life art exhibition.”
Today, 81% of global consumers agree that a brand’s digital presence is as
important as its instore presence. This is prompting brands to enhance their
ecommerce storefront prominence and making way for virtual flagship stores.
In July 2021, Fendi opened a 360-degree virtual flagship based on its New York
City 57th Street store, and Lancôme opened a temporary virtual flagship set in
“Our real world is 3D. We know how to operate in 3D. That’s how our brain
works,” Singh explains. “We have had to learn all these behaviors online
that are not natural or intuitive in the way we interact. But over time, as
technology gets better and better, all our digital interfaces will become
more natural and more intuitive.”
For Gucci’s 100th anniversary in May 2021, a celebration took place in the
form of an experiential exhibition at its Gucci Garden in Florence. For those
who were unable to attend the event, the luxury brand collaborated with Roblox
on a virtual version of the Archetypes exhibition, which showcased 15 of
the company’s most impactful advertising campaigns. Visitors assumed a
genderless avatar to navigate the virtual iteration of the garden, with the option
to purchase limited-edition virtual items.
“Brands can push the
boundaries of creativit
in the metaverse and
ofer experiences that are
unrepeatable in real life”
Christina Wooton, vice president of brand partnerships, Roblox
Gucci Garden Archetypes in Roblox
METABUSINESS | NEW RETAIL FRONTIERS 69INTO THE METAVERSE
Top: Lancôme Advanced Génifique virtual flagship store
Bottom: Snapchat
METABUSINESS | NEW RETAIL FRONTIERS 70INTO THE METAVERSE
Singapore in 2020. Lancôme’s Advanced Génifique store offered 3D shopping
experiences, consultations and educational events. The skincare brand has
since rolled out virtual flagship pop-ups in Australia and the United States.
What does this mean for bricks-and-mortar stores? There is demand for both,
as 61% of global shoppers say they prefer online shopping to in-person
shopping, and 55% prefer in-person to online.
Physical shops are increasingly blending digital overlays. Snap AR has
been ramping up its offerings, with AR try-ons in collaboration with American
Eagle, Farfetch, Piaget and Prada. “We see big opportunity in taking the reality
around you and layering the digital world on top of it,” Carolina Arguelles Navas,
group product marketing manager at Snap AR, tells Wunderman Thompson
Intelligence. “From shopping experiences to travel, there’s an endless
opportunity to take the power of digital content and layer this onto the physical
world around you.”
AR retail is becoming the new industry norm, with brands including Sephora,
Ikea and Samsung already integrating the technology into their stores. The
forecast is looking profitable too, with AR in retail, commerce and marketing
expected to surpass $12 billion in 2025, according to global tech market
advisory firm ABI Research.
Why it’s interesting:
The digital shopping experience is becoming a rich ecosystem that blends into
multiple online channels. However, shoppers are still not prepared to go fully
digital, and 83% of global consumers believe the future of shopping is hybrid.
“The bringing together of physical and virtual is going to accelerate significantly,”
predicts Grant Paterson, head of gaming and esports at Wunderman Thompson.
METABUSINESS | NEW RETAIL FRONTIERS 71INTO THE METAVERSE
New retail frontiers
A brand’s digital presence is as important
as its in-store presence
The future of shopping is hybrid
3,011 participants across the United States, United Kingdom and China, fielding from
July 9-July 27, 2021. Survey by Wunderman Thompson Data.
83%81%
METABUSINESS | NEW RETAIL FRONTIERS 72INTO THE METAVERSE
New retail frontiers
On average, digital and in-person shopping preferences are at parit. But these preferences show a direct
correlation to age—younger consumers prefer online shopping and older consumers prefer to shop in person.
Prefer online shopping
Prefer in-person shopping
61%
55%
64%
52%
61%
54%
65%
54%
49%
62%
Prefer online shopping Prefer in-person shopping
Gen Z
Millennials
Baby boomers
Gen X
3,011 participants across the United States, United Kingdom and China, fielding from
July 9-July 27, 2021. Survey by Wunderman Thompson Data.
Facebook Horizon Workrooms
METABUSINESS | THE METAVERSE WORKFORCE 73INTO THE METAVERSE
The metaverse workforce
Teleportation, holograms, and roaming avatars—this
isn’t the latest sci-f movie, this is the future of work.
The shift to remote work is giving rise to companies prioritizing virtual
environments. After all, the pandemic has shown tech’s strength in keeping
many jobs in action. According to a July 2021 Wunderman Thompson Data
survey 61% of global respondents agree that their livelihood depends on
technology. Now tech companies are rolling out new products and experiences
with a view to define what the future of work looks and feels like.
Facebook is betting big on VR futures. “By 2030, the new generations of Oculus
will allow users to teleport from one place to another without moving from their
couch—not only for gaming and entertainment, but also for work,” Mark
Zuckerberg told The Information’s 411 podcast. On August 19, the company
introduced Horizon Workrooms—a “collaboration experience” that allows co-
workers to collaborate, communicate and connect through VR. The idea is for
the experience to feel as close to in-person as possible, even allowing for
“lifelike” conversations. This feature resonates with 76% of global users wanting
video chat to allow for more natural, everyday interactions.
The desire for location-defying technology that provides true social presence
appears to be a priority for many companies. Microsoft Mesh uses mixed reality
(MR) to create interconnected worlds where the physical and digital come
76% of global users want video
chat to allow for more natural,
everyday interactions
Microsoft Mesh
METABUSINESS | THE METAVERSE WORKFORCE 74INTO THE METAVERSE
together. The selling point with Microsoft’s new platform is that people in
different physical locations are able to collaborate and work in real-time on
the same project via holographic experiences across different devices.
“You can actually feel like you’re in the same place with someone sharing
content or you can teleport from different mixed reality devices and be present
with people even when you’re not physically together,” says Alex Kipman,
Microsoft’s technical fellow.
The COVID-19 pandemic is reshaping the future of work, pointing to a flexible
hybrid model. “We anticipate never going back to five days a week in the office.
That seems very old-fashioned now,” stated Alan Jope, CEO of Unilever, at the
Reuters Next conference in January 2021. This new-wave thinking is aligned
with employee expectations: more than 70% want flexible and remote work to
continue, according to a Microsoft 2021 survey. Many large corporations are
responding, including Microsoft, Verizon and Unilever, which have all
announced hybrid work setups, while Spotify, Twitter and Deloitte UK are
leading the way with fully remote working options.
As companies open up to the idea of employees working from anywhere,
startups are tapping into gaming mechanics to create virtual workplaces that
foster collaboration and creativity.
Gather launched in May 2020, born from Zoom fatigue and the need for digital
spaces that enhance natural connections. The platform aims to make “virtual
interactions more human.” Believing the physical world has constraints that can
limit work opportunities and social circles, the startup offers an alternative to
this with a metaverse that features a “virtual layer over the physical world where
people can work, socialize, and learn.” Kumospace and gen Z startup Branch
operate in similar ways to Gather, focusing on heightening organic interactions
Microsoft Mesh
METABUSINESS | THE METAVERSE WORKFORCE 75INTO THE METAVERSE
Top: Gather
Bottom left: Roomkey Bottom right: Xsolla Unconventional
METABUSINESS | THE METAVERSE WORKFORCE 76INTO THE METAVERSE
using spatial virtual rooms that mimic physical environments, where users’
avatars can roam around and generate spontaneous moments.
Efforts are also being poured into corporate events, conferences and
boardroom meetings. London’s Roomkey provides 3D virtual rooms where
people can socialize and network “just like at a real-life event.” Xsolla’s
Unconventional launched in October 2020, holding virtual events for the gaming
industry, and Sine Wave Entertainment has been hosting gamified events in
collaboration with PR agency EAK Digital since April 2020.
In July 2021, architecture companies Bjarke Ingels Group and UNStudio
partnered with Squint/Opera to create the Spaceform virtual workspace.
The idea is to “superpower presentations” digitally to anyone, anywhere,
on any device.
Tech companies are already preparing for the rise of the digital workforce.
Dropbox announced in October 2020 that it is becoming a “virtual-first
company,” and the entire employee experience, from hiring to day-to-day work,
will have a digital setup. WeTransfer opened a digital version of its Dutch HQ in
May 2020, allowing decentralized working.
Why it’s interesting:
The way we connect, live and work is transforming as a result of the digital
revolution, and a metaverse workforce is in the making. The future of work will
foster a hybrid setup for many, leading with a virtual front that generates new
forms of creativity, collaboration and immersion.
3,011 participants across the United States, United Kingdom and China, fielding from
July 9-July 27, 2021. Survey by Wunderman Thompson Data.
METABUSINESS | THE METAVERSE WORKFORCE 77INTO THE METAVERSE
The metaverse workforce
My livelihood depends on technology
Allowed for more natural,
everyday interactions
Felt more like physical spaces
Was more immersive
I wish video chat…
76%
64%
64%
61%
METABUSINESS | CASE STUDY 78INTO THE METAVERSE
VR is the future for businesses
Says who: Leon Ng, founder and CEO of
LNG Studios
About LNG Studios: Real estate
developer specializing in creating
immersive experiences and visualization
tools for pre-sale markets.
Why it’s interesting: “In VR you have
way more control when it comes to the storytelling component.
The key thing is that you can fully immerse yourself into a
space. For one masterplan community project we did for
Concord, we gave away 10,000 headsets to realtors around
the world. So someone from Shanghai was able to visualize
the virtual showroom in the comfort of their own home.
Something like that is very powerful. It’s a huge cost saving—
you don’t have to build a physical showroom, you just build a
virtual showroom. I’m very bullish when it comes to VR and the
technology is getting way better.”
Our analysis: With hardware companies like Facebook’s
Oculus and Samsung’s Gear VR upping investment in
bettering VR technologies, businesses are leveraging the
immersive factor to reach clients and other businesses,
wherever they are in the world.
Virtual possessions are the future of sustainabilit
Says who: Kerry Murphy, founder and
CEO of The Fabricant
About The Fabricant: A digital-only
couture fashion house that aims to be
“the wardrobe for the metaverse.”
Why it’s interesting: “The most
sustainable clothing is clothing that has
never been made before. By introducing these digital business
models, we're going to be able to reduce the amount of
physical items, because people are simply going to start
seeing value in digital items and realize that they'd rather
interact with a digital item or have an infinite wardrobe of digital
fashion items, but a very limited wardrobe of physical items.”
Our analysis: Digital possessions are the next phase
in anti-excess consumption. The emerging formula for
digital possessions offers consumers another—perhaps
more effective—way to prioritize environmental impact
when purchasing.
There will be no more “portal” to the internet
Says who: Kai Bond, partner at
Courtside Ventures
About Courtside Ventures: A venture
capitalist fund focused on gaming and
technology startups.
Why it’s interesting: “I worked at
Microsoft in the late ’90s, early 2000s.
[At that time], it was unthinkable that anything could come
along to displace those portals. Then all of a sudden Facebook
came along. They just absolutely destroyed the idea of a
portal. The biggest thing that I think we’re missing right now
is a digital rendition of a decentralized advisory platform that
allows you to seamlessly go between different worlds.”
Second take: Kerry Murphy adds: “Once glasses get an AR
filter, I won’t need a laptop anymore. I could be having this
video chat with you just with my glasses—just a virtual
interface. And everything that I have in my physical space is
connected to the internet. So I would be able to interact with
my digital items in my physical life without, let’s say, this clunky
laptop. Laptops are going to disappear. Maybe even
smartphones are going to disappear.”
Our analysis: The idea of a single entry point to the
internet—whether through a platform or a device—is
disappearing. In the future, engagement with digital
spaces and items won’t be funneled through any one
gatekeeper; rather, it will be seamlessly superimposed
on the physical world.
Three experts explore the potential of the metaverse
MetaSocieties
A digital realit that refects the values and standards
of our physical lives is in the making.
MetaHuman Creator by Unreal Engine, Epic Games
METASOCIETIES 80INTO THE METAVERSE
With more than billion active internet users
around the world engaged in online activities and an
average daily screen time of fve to six hours a day in
the United States, our digital and physical lives
are undeniably intertwined.
Habits and beliefs from our physical lives are not only extending into the digital
realm, but becoming more significant. “In this day and age our digital identity is
almost more important than our physical one,” suggests Amber Slooten,
cofounder and creative director of The Fabricant.
Hyper-realistic digital identities
The need to reflect users’ physical identity is becoming easier, more accessible
and inclusive thanks to Unreal Engine’s MetaHuman Creator by Epic Games.
With the central belief that “digital humans are the future,” MetaHuman Creator
is a real-time cloud-stream generator that can replicate intricate details of
a person’s features, from skin complexion and wrinkles to broken capillaries
and scars. DNABlock are on a similar mission to make avatars in the metaverse
more inclusive and diverse with the help of Softbank's recent investment.
But it’s not just the realistic looks that resonate with people. Increasingly, the
days of creating fictional digital aliases are largely behind us, as today 88% of
global consumers say their online self should reflect their real-life ethics and
values. This is perhaps why H&M offered virtual recycling in Animal Crossing
in April 2021, with users able to recycle game outfits into new ones through
an online version of Looop, the brand’s in-store garment-to-garment recycling
system, available in selected stores. Capturing the attention of people wanting
to do good online is becoming increasingly important.
“Games are
becoming
environments
in which
people are
defning their
identit.”
Grant Paterson, head of gaming and
esport, Wunderman Thompson
H&M offers virtual recycling in Animal Crossing
METASOCIETIES 81INTO THE METAVERSE
“Think about creating
a new online societ
but doing it right from
day one”
Daren Tsui, CEO, Together Labs
Left: Altspace VR
Right: Nowhere
METASOCIETIES 82INTO THE METAVERSE
Borderless social networks
Defying geographic restrictions, new communities connecting around shared
values are being created in the digital world. After all, 83% of global consumers
believe that technology brings people together. Now a metaverse of new social
groups is in the making.
IMVU by Together Labs is a 3D avatar-based friendship discovery social
network—a new kind of network that exists in the metaverse where people are
actively working on building new and meaningful relationships. Daren Tsui, CEO
of Together Labs, observes that “social platforms are not really satisfying our
needs for friendship—they’re more media than social network.” Tsui believes
that IMVU is fostering “more authentic and immersive” experiences, which
establish the platform as the next-generation social network. IMVU’s approach
reflects academic research suggesting interacting with others in a 3D
environment that feels immersive and real helps develop social presence—the
feeling of being in the same place as someone else.
“The more you play, the more you’re getting to know other people,” explains
Tsui. “Think about creating a new online society but doing it right from day one.”
Nowhere is a new social networking platform where people float in nine-
sided polygons within 3D environments that range from forests to clouds to
an island in the sky. Jon Morris, CEO of Nowhere, describes the platform as
“the first online event space where you can truly be present, whether feeling
the raw energy of a virtual performance or serendipitously vibing with a
stranger you just met.”
METASOCIETIES 83INTO THE METAVERSE
IMVU by Together Labs
Andrew Yang's 2021 New York City mayoral meta-campaign in Zepeto
METASOCIETIES 84INTO THE METAVERSE
Facebook Horizon is currently in beta mode but aims to be a “VR social
experience” where explorers play, build and create together. A series of virtual
worlds are in place but requires people to participate, collaborate and connect
to fully exist. Microsoft acquired AltspaceVR back in 2017, a VR platform that
can host gatherings such as live shows, meetups, and festivals with people
from around the world.
Games have long provided spaces for players to meet, connect and bond,
gradually becoming persistent worlds defined by users. The Sandbox is
described as a “virtual world where players can play, build, own, and
monetize their virtual experiences.”
Virtual utopia
Alongside these increasingly social experiences, groups are being formed that
champion social causes and political campaigns—new forums for activism.
Digital strikes took off in spring 2020 when pandemic-related lockdowns were
introduced around the world. Greta Thunberg famously called for climate
protests to shift online, initiating the still-trending #ClimateStrikeOnline.
IMVU has also become a place for self-expression and community building.
“Users are transferring their real-life antics into the virtual world,” explains Tsui.
There are many social causes led by the IMVU community, including amplifying
the voices of LGBTQ+ people, Black Lives Matter, and COVID-19 relief.
A wider range of people are now stepping into the metaverse arena. New York
City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang launched a metacampaign in June 2021.
Avatar-Yang held a press conference in the metarealm and addressed an
audience largely consisting of digitally driven gen Zers. Could this be the
future for political campaigns?
The Sandbox
METASOCIETIES 85INTO THE METAVERSE
People expect companies to take the initiative too: 88% of global consumers
say brands need to work just as hard to create inclusive spaces online as they
do offline, and more than half (67%) believe that online/digital platforms are
more inclusive than the physical/offline world.
Decentralized futures
Technology is here to stay. But will its influence be for the better? Tech can
make the world a better place according to 88% of global consumers, and 78%
agree it can help create a more equitable society.
As the future moves into the metaverse, there are some key issues to address.
“We have two conflicting goals,” Keith Stuart, games editor at the Guardian,
tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. “One is that big corporations want to
own everything we do and expect us to accept that. But the second is that the
user-base wants everything to be free, available and cross-platform, and they
want to remove that technological gatekeeper.” In an age when the power is
shifting into the hands of the user, there is undeniable pressure from brands to
create an equitable and decentralized metaverse that belongs to the people.
Why it’s interesting:
“When you’re born, you don’t choose who you are, but in the virtual world
you’re starting from scratch,” Sébastien Borget, cofounder of The Sandbox,
told High Snobiety. The metaverse is offering a chance to create a world that is
inclusive, ethical, and based on meaningful connections. People want to reflect
their real-life ethics and values in the metaverse, and there’s potential for them
to do better.
METASOCIETIES 86INTO THE METAVERSE
Hyper-realistic
digital identities
My online self should refect my real-life
ethics and values
3,011 participants across the United States, United Kingdom and China, fielding from
July 9-July 27, 2021. Survey by Wunderman Thompson Data.
88%
Borderless social networks
Technology brings people together
83%
METASOCIETIES 87INTO THE METAVERSE
Virtual utopias
Brands need to work just as hard to create
inclusive spaces online as they do ofine
Online/digital platforms are more
inclusive than the physical/ofine world
3,011 participants across the United States, United Kingdom and China, fielding from
July 9-July 27, 2021. Survey by Wunderman Thompson Data.
88% 67%
METASOCIETIES 88INTO THE METAVERSE
Decentralized futures
Tech can make the world a beter place Tech can help create a more equitable societ
Technology can help stop climate change
88%
73%
78%
3,011 participants across the United States, United Kingdom and China, fielding from
July 9-July 27, 2021. Survey by Wunderman Thompson Data.
METASOCIETIES 89INTO THE METAVERSE
When asked how tech will improve life in the next fve years, global consumers led with pragmatic needs including “communication”
and “information.” This is closely followed by broader life values connecting to equalit and social responsibilit such as “sustainabilit,”
“inclusivit” and “internationalit.”
sustainabilit
collaboration
fexibilit
cooperation
information
convenience
entertainment
e
d
u
catio
n
services
automation
streaming
home
work
healthcareers
efciency
fnances so
cie
t
d
ay-to
-d
ay afordabilit
intersectionalit
relationships
inclusivit
environment
communication acce
ssib
ilit
internationalit
connectivit
aw
are
n
e
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5 brand
lessons for
entering the
metaverse
5 BRAND LESSONS FOR ENTERING THE METAVERSE 91INTO THE METAVERSE
Things to remember... What this means...
1
People are spending more time online—giving rise to
a new ecosystem of virtual living that encompasses
digital possessions, relationships and social spaces.
Brands will need to be a part of the digital third spaces
that are pulling people’s time and atention, because
people aren’t just socializing in digital spaces—they’re
working, shopping and discovering products there, too.
2
People want their virtual existence to refect what’s
important to them, and are bringing their IRL ethics,
values and identities with them into the virtual realm.
To meaningfully engage with consumers in the
metaverse, brands will need to think beyond
entertainment and novelt. How can you contribute to
the creation of an inclusive and ethical virtual world?
3
Virtual and physical realities are becoming
superimposed—bringing augmented and digitally-
infuenced elements into the physical world and
making the digital realm hyper-realistic.
What happens in the virtual world will have real-
life consequences for brands and businesses—and
could change the way physical products are tested,
manufactured and sold.
4
To help bring the metaverse to life, brands have two
key pathways they can take: developing the technical
tools that will power the metaverse, or perfecting the
end user experience.
Do you want to contribute to the functional and
technical creation of the metaverse, or do you want
to focus on how you—and your consumers—exist
within it?
5 Remember, the metaverse will not be owned or regulated by any one brand.
As the metaverse develops, collaboration between
brands will not only be essential, but the quickest
point of entry.
