006: Creating in the Bear Market

Around the block…

• Major League Baseball: Hosted a regular season simulcast game in the metaverse on September 20th. The 3D experience, powered by Improbable, mirrored real-life gameplay including the ability to interact with others close by over audio, trivia games, a scavenger hunt, & a commemorative NFT ticket (Decrypt).

• Panerai: The Italian luxury watchmaker is launching a blockchain-backed ‘digital passport’. Each watch sold after October 3rd will include an NFT that will serve as a measure of authenticity, a record of ownership, & provide detailed product specifications (cryptonews).

• Paris Saint-Germain: The soccer club partnered with their sponsor, Crypto.com, to create generative match day NFTs available starting September 24th. The NFTs were developed using AI orchestrated by artist, Benjamin Benichou. Upon collecting all seven match NFTs, owners will be eligible for prizes including an exclusive experience at the team’s final match (Coinspeaker).

• Gucci: Recreated their Milan Fashion Week show for recent collection, Ancora, within multiple metaverses - including Roblox, Zepeto, and China’s QQ (Decrypt).

• Diesel: Partnered with DRESSX to create digital apparel items for Meta Avatars available through experiences including Quest VR, Instagram, & Facebook. The collection will have two drops, including sneakers, jackets, jeans, & streetwear items (Retail Dive).

What is…?

• Improbable: The metaverse technology company behind the MLB simulcast experience. Improbable specializes in building metaverse experiences for gaming, entertainment, & public institutions - facilitating interactive environments for exploration, education, & creation (Improbable).

• Arianee: Software solution offering tokenized ‘digital passports’, enabling blockchain-powered product & community experiences. Their offerings include token minting, NFT management, & wallet infrastructure. Arianee was announced as the technology partner for Panerai (Arianee).

• Generative NFTs: NFT artwork that uses algorithms to combine pre-designed art characteristics to create unique pieces. Generative collections are able to create unique items at scale - popular in many PFP (profile pic) projects including Bored Ape Yacht Club & CryptoPunks (PC Mag).

• QQ: Owned by Chinese holding company, Tencent, QQ is a communication app that includes a metaverse experience called Super QQ Show powered by 3D creation tool, Unreal Engine (Asia Financial).

• DRESSX: The largest platform for digital-only fashion, available for purchase through their website. Purchased apparel is applied to the buyer’s photos upon upload. The company has partnered with numerous brands including Coca-Cola, Google, Roblox, Warner Music Group (DRESSX).

Chain Reactions!

Project Versatility:

This week’s round-up features a wide range of activations - from virtual experiences, digital apparel, luxury authentication, & NFT collectibles with utility - it’s safe to say brands are still building in the bear market. Although some of the above activations are powered by blockchain technology, the angle most brands are taking is about offering fun experiences & value to engagers - placing confusing tech behind the scenes.