Silvabrand | The Metaverse Is Here to Amaze
Silva Brand

The Metaverse Is Here to Amaze

May 09, 2022 | by Team Silva
3 min

Perhaps, the term “metaverse” evokes images of a VR landscape inhabited by computer-generated facsimiles of real people. This kind of technology might seem far off or not fully developed yet, but the metaverse is currently much more advanced and present than many of us realize. “The metaverse is a virtual world that goes beyond or acts as an extension of our physical world,” Influencer Marketing Hub explains. “It’s made up of interoperable technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality, and it runs on a functional digital economy that can be powered by digital currencies or cryptocurrencies.”

And today, savvy companies are using this futuristic tool to get consumers excited about their brands. “Marketing has always looked to test innovative platforms,” writes Fast Company. “That’s because meeting people where they are is a core tactic that remains true, even if where people are today is a virtual world rather than a physical one.”

Here’s a look at two brands — fashion icon Gucci and sports mecca Vans — that are using this virtual world to great effect.

The renowned fashion brand Gucci created a metaverse based on its Florentine showcase Gucci Garden, which truly changed how customers view and interact with haute clothing. In 2018 Wanted In Rome[LHS1] wrote, “[C]onceived by none other than the brand’s creative director Alessandro Michele, Gucci Garden is a multi-level galleria,— a dandified gift shop, if you will — that features bespoke products, archive pieces, and fine dining.” Located in Florence, Italy, this high-end destination assumed a technological flair.

Last May, Hype Beast wrote that metaverse platform Roblox “has unveiled a virtual version of the garden that will be open to everyone for two weeks” and that the “digital rendering of the Gucci Garden is divided into several themed rooms, each paying homage to a different era of Michele’s six-year reign over the House.” Gucci didn’t just recast its galleria through the metaverse; it reinvented its customers as well.

Vogue Business writes that “upon exiting, visitors can view their avatars’ canvas and the canvases of others and can take screenshots to share on social channels. The idea is that while everyone starts as the same blank canvas, the experience defines them,” says Morgan Tucker, Roblox's senior director of product for the social group.

This transformative event complements lucrative sales opportunities. “On Roblox which has its own marketplace where items can be traded, the Gucci Dionysus Bag with Bee was resold for over $4,100 worth of Roblox,” according to AP News. “The astronomically priced Dionysus bag cannot be traded outside of the Roblox platform, making it seemingly a vanity investment for a super-fan.”

Like Gucci, sports brand Vans collaborated with Roblox to create a space for customers, called Vans World, which will alter what people can see and do in the metaverse. The Drum writes that Vans World gives visitors four avatars to choose from and “the option to fully tailor their appearance from head to toe through functionality such as custom shoes and a skate shop.”

In addition to its fashion capabilities, Vans World is also unique in that its intent is as a permanent location in the metaverse, one that facilitates high-octane recreation. According to Roblox’s website, “Vans World will serve as a persistent 3D space where fans can practice their ollies and kickflips with friends.” The venture’s offerings are also based on real-life counterparts. For example, Gadget Match says that “Vans World was inspired by Vans’ signature locations such as House of Vans, the Vans Off The Wall Skatepark in California, owned retail shop environments and other revered skate destinations from all over the globe.”

Gucci and Vans show the range of uses that the metaverse lends to brands, but it can reimagine company culture as well. “A study by PwC projects the increase in global economic output through virtual reality and augmented reality at more than $1.5 trillion by 2030,” writes Forbes. “VR offers companies value by making processes more efficient with lower costs.” The magazine goes on to say that VRdirect’s co-founder and managing director Rolf Illenberger explains that “Forward-thinking companies are now preparing for the metaverse” and that “instead of flying out to trade conferences, VR showrooms can highlight a new truck, car, or recreational vehicle. The engineers, marketing, sales, financial and creative professionals can all collaborate together on a new product that’s in development.”