Tag Archives: metaverse

Forever 21 x Barbie launches in-store, online and in the metaverse

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On the heels of launching a new brand campaign entitled ‘Forever LA’, leading fashion retailer Forever 21 has announced its latest collaboration with Barbie.

The new limited-edition collection includes a range of on-trend vintage-style apparel items, swim, sleepwear, beauty and accessories as well as home décor, inspired by the Barbie DreamHouse. The collection will be simultaneously available in-store, online, and in the Forever 21 Shop City experience on Roblox.

Forever 21’s experience for Roblox was created in partnership with the Virtual Brand Group (VBG), a web3 fashion designer, game developer and retailer that creates immersive metaverse experiences for global brands’ web3 businesses, and which was recently awarded “Best Digital Product” by Licensing International. The metaverse collection was created by VBG’s global multicultural design team working across five countries.

The Forever 21 x Barbie collection meticulously replicates its real-life inspiration and campaign using Roblox’s latest Layered Clothing technology powering hyper-realistic 3D clothing that fits any avatar body type. The designs feature real-world fabrics and details like intricate stitching on the collection’s Malibu Denim Jacket, embossed art, beadwork, and textured fabrics on jumpsuits, dresses, hoodies, iconic t-shirts, trucker hats, and jelly bags. Fans globally can now follow the “#TwinWithYourAvatar” trend.

“Barbie, a SoCal native, plays in the same inclusive, empowering and fashionable space that our customers love, appreciate and have come to expect from our business,” says Winnie Park, CEO at Forever 21. “We are thrilled to offer shoppers unexpected line extensions that include Barbie in-store and online and virtual fashions in the metaverse. This was the perfect collection to launch first, under our Forever LA umbrella.”

Another in-store and online first for the fashion retailer, Forever 21 will be offering the Barbie Fashionistas, the most diverse doll line on the market, which celebrates an inclusive view of beauty and fashion, representing a range of body types, skin tones, eye colours and unique physical traits.

Available at all Forever 21 locations, the Barbie Summer 2022 Collection celebrates inclusive fashion with sizes ranging from XS up to 3XL and offers an additional assortment for kids. Prices range from $6.99 – to $54.99, and pieces will be available for a limited time only at Forever 21 stores, on the Forever 21 App, and online on www.forever21.com. The new inclusive fashions can also be acquired in the Roblox Avatar Shop and worn by any avatars on the platform.

 

Introducing Infinite Drive, the world’s first driving metaverse

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The Tiny Digital Factory, a leading developer and publisher of world-class racing and motorsport games, has announced Infinite Drive – the world’s first real driving metaverse. Ushering in a new era of racing games fuel-injected by web3 technology, Infinite Drive rolls out worldwide on mobile devices in Q4 2022.

Testing players’ driving skills with high-octane fun, Infinite Drive combines accessible and authentic gameplay with stunning recreations of officially licensed cars. The Tiny Digital Factory has long-standing relationships with world-class carmakers such as McLaren, Porsche, Mercedes AMG and Ford, while Infinite Drive’s showroom already includes high-performance cars from Renault, Alpine, Ruf and W Motors. Many more licenses are set to be confirmed within a few months, bringing Infinite Drive up to a full complement of over 150 officially licensed cars from more than 20 automotive brands.

Designed by racing fans for racing fans, Infinite Drive’s simulation-based gameplay brings the thrill of being in the driver’s seat to the mobile metaverse. Players will be able to feel, hear and experience each car’s unique characteristics out on track, competing online to earn the acclaim of being the number one driver. With the power of web3 technology, highly skilled drivers can even ‘race to earn’, taking the wheel on behalf of other players, entering official races, competitions and even sharing in the winnings, just like a real-world racing team.

As well as ‘race to earn’, meaningful integration of web3 technology allows players to build, trade and own their own dream car collection as they compete for pole position on track. Starting in summer 2022, Infinite Drive will offer an initial collection of 5,000 licensed NFT cars from premium real-world brands, which will provide immediate access to the game’s closed Alpha phase. However, there is no requirement for players to own a car to enjoy Infinite Drive and hone their racing skill, and the full game will be free-to-play on iOS and Android.

Stephane Baudet, Founder and CEO at The Tiny Digital Factory, says: “With its game-first engine architecture and unique digital car ownership, Infinite Drive is the zenith of twenty years of making driving simulation games. For decades, racing fans have been staring lovingly at dream cars in virtual garages. So we’ve used web3 tech to make it possible for gamers to actually own and earn from their vehicles, alongside a stunning player experience out on track. Infinite Drive offers the accessibility of mobile games, combined with play and earn, providing the tools to reward passionate players who are already organising racing events and helping us create the very best driving experience.”

Developed by industry veterans behind some of the most successful free-to-play mobile titles such as Jurassic World: The Game, Gangstar, Hitman Sniper, Fallout Shelter, and Rollercoaster Tycoon Touch, The Tiny Digital Factory team’s experience includes the chart-topping GT Manager and F1 Mobile Racing. It also worked with Animoca Brands to develop F1 Delta Time, a pioneering web3 driving game, as well as the renowned REVV Racing game. Built with this motor gaming development pedigree, Infinite Drive delivers a unique blend of exhilarating racing, missions, and achievements, with web3 digital supercar ownership and trading.

TBA Group announces exclusive partnership with metaverse specialist Virtual Brand Group

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Experiential events expert TBA Group has announced its partnership with global metaverse specialist Virtual Brand Group (VBG) to launch brands, leagues, entertainment IP and personalities in the metaverse.

Focused on establishing connections between iconic brands such as Formula 1, Take That and Doc Martens to their fans and customers, TBA Group consists of TBA plc, Top Banana, Velocity, VHE, Zest, LGA, and Optimum. The differentiated group of creative agencies aims to deliver outstanding experiential events using creativity, insight-led ideas and technology, and proved its ability throughout the pandemic, leveraging the opportunity of virtual events.

Guy Horner, CEO of TBA Group, says: “Brands  are racing to figure out their virtual strategy and navigate the vast and unpredictable metaverse technologies, communities and revenue opportunities that are rapidly evolving. The partnership with VBG will enable TBA Group to push the boundaries of creativity with full-service offering for brands to capitalise on this once in a generation growth opportunity.”

VBG transforms brands by building and operating their metaverse business and communities across billions of consumers and all web 3.0 technologies, from social gaming to blockchain to NFTs and beyond.

Most recently, VBG successfully built and launched global fashion brand Forever 21’s immersive Roblox experience and avatar merchandise programme, partnering with over 30 of the world’s top digital designers. Roblox has over 202 million players per month and over 50 million per day. In addition, VBG pioneered “Infinite Loop Marketing”, which connects virtual commerce to e-commerce.

The two companies will collaborate on placing TBA’s clients across music, sports and entertainment brands into the metaverse. The partnership aims to offer the world’s first end-to-end “phygital” (physical to digital) experiential platform that delivers a seamless journey for consumers and brands that happen simultaneously in both worlds.

“We are always seeking innovative ways to enhance the experiences that we create for our clients and their customers,” says Guy Horner. “Due to the impacts of Covid, interaction in the virtual world has accelerated, offering brands the opportunity to co-exist, and co-create, in the virtual and physical world. It unlocks the opportunity for consumers to interact with products and experiences in a creative way that does not exist in a physical world.

“We are very excited about this opportunity with VBG and are already working with clients to put them in the metaverse, creating more immersive engaging experiences with greater scale and reach.”

Justin Hochberg, VBG’s CEO, adds: “No matter what type of brand, no matter what sector, all consumer-facing brands need to seize this opportunity to experience first-hand the biggest shift in a generation to leapfrog their competitors. Put another way, ‘47% of Gen Z say they’ll discover brands through the metaverse’. TBA and VBG have the tools to make that happen.”

The partnership will launch with TBA and VBG co-hosting an exclusive event for select brand clients featuring industry luminaries, set to take place next month.

David Coulthard, Co-Founder of Velocity, part of TBA Group, says: “Our business is about creating experiences for our partners and it’s a logical next step for us to put brands into the metaverse. There is huge appetite right now to exploit metaverse opportunities as it expands the audience as well as extending the experience beyond a physical event.”