Personal Note
Hi Everyone đ,
Quite a lot of "brands in The Metaverse news" this week. But maybe the most exciting news is Coinbase launching their own NFT marketplace. If they can make NFTs as accessible as they did to crypto. This might be a big boost to the NFT market.
Thanks also to Marc Bresseel, one of our subscribers including the Metaweek.ly newsletter is his opening keynote speech at The 5th Conference yesterday. And welcome to all the new subscribers following this shout-out đ.
Cheers,
Trends & Game Changers
Can Niantic Unlock the Real-World Metaverse?
Though known best for its breakout hit PokĂŠmon Go, Niantic's true fate may be as an AR platform. Enter Niantic Lightship, which turns PokĂŠmon Goâs architecture into a platform on which others can build geospatial AR experiences.
Shopify Built an Animal Crossing-Esque Video Game for the Office.
Shopify's solution for video fatigue? Building a free-play, internal game where employees have avatars and can race cars, hop on lily pads and run into caves. The game is called Shopify Party, and it's become the commerce platform's go-to way to make meetings, one-on-ones and other work events more fun.
Coinbase Is Launching Its Own NFT Platform to Make NFTs More Accessible to the Masses
Coinbase is readying the launch of an NFT marketplace that will compete with existing major players in the space, like OpenSea, debuting a user waitlist for the desktop product that it hopes to launch by the end of the year.
Twitter Invests in Avatar Economie With Startup Facemoji
Apple is increasingly interested in avatar representations through Memoji, Mark Zuckerberg wants Facebook to be a metaverse company, and platforms like Roblox, where users enter a virtual world and buy accessories for their character, have never been more popular.
NASCAR Driving Into the Metaverse With Immersive Digital Platform
NASCAR to construct a branded digital platform for racing fans, an online experience designed to push the hugely popular circuit into the future Metaverse of interactive immersive experiences.
The BAYC Announced That It Is Working On Issuing a Bored Token
Question, Wen Token? Answer, Soon. The Bored Ape Yacht Club answered one of itsâ members most pressing questions this afternoon, after the club announced that it is looking into issuing a token during the first quarter of 2022.
Brands in the Metaverse
Verizon Showcases 5g With Metaverse Treasure Hunt
Verizon Communications dipped its virtual toes back into the metaverse with a multicity augmented reality (AR) activation last month as Apple rolled out its latest smartphone models. The mobile carrier sought to showcase the faster speeds of its 5G network with a multimedia experience that offered a chance to win an iPhone 13 and leveraged spatial audio and gamified social media.
Chipotle Enters the Fortnite Metaverse with Creative Map
This innovative event, named the Chipotle Farm to Foil Speedrun, is the first of its kind. The Collect to Foil mode allows Fortnite players to farm ingredients, cook a burrito, and hurry home to devour their masterpiece, all while immersed in a bespoke landscape.
Fashion Label Charli Cohen Captures Pokemon Fans Inside Electric/Cityâs Immersive Shopping Experience
Clothing brand Charli Cohen is marking the 25th anniversary of the Pokemon phenomenon with the launch of a digital shopping experience to display a themed collection of garments and wares.
McDonald's China to give away 188 NFTs on 31st anniversary
Fast-food giant McDonald's China released a set of 188 nonfungible tokens to celebrate its 31st anniversary in the Chinese market. The "Big Mac Rubik's Cube" NFTs will be distributed to Chinese employees and customers by McDonald's China as a part of a giveaway.
Dolce and Gabbana Just Set a $6 Million Record for Fashion NFTS
Since D&G announced its collection, the Ethereum cryptocurrency rose 10% last week, officially making the collection worth over $6 million USD.
A âBaby Birkinâ NFT Sold for $23.5000 and Hermès Didnât Have Anything to Do With It
A âBaby Birkinâ NFT, which was an animation of a baby growing in an Hermès Birkin bag, was recently sold in an auction for the equivalent of $23.500. Despite the NFT borrowing the iconic Birkin name and style, Hermès had no affiliation with â and saw no revenue from â the sale. Apparently that's no problem in the NFT space? đ¤ˇââď¸
Bacardi Pairs Purpose With NFTS to Empower Fan Investment in Music Diversity
As NFTs mature as a marketing strategy, Bacardi is taking its approach to the next level by pairing purpose with blockchain technology and empowering people to invest in women in music production.
Facts & Figures
Virtual World Will Surpass Real World If We Donât Do Something About It
BLS announced only 194,000 jobs were created in September, far below expectations. There are still over ten million unfilled jobs across the country, while the total number of employees remains about five million lower than in February 2020. Some of this labor gap will shrink over time as Covid-19 subsides, but there are underlying trends that will delay, and maybe even prevent, a full return to the pre-pandemic labor market if things do not change.