Games and virtual worlds are the future of narrative, according to Akbar Hamid, co-founder of POC Laboratory.
Fashion and beauty brands from Gucci to L’Occitane are extremely turning to metaverse and gaming platforms to join the Gen- Z audience where they are, and how to properly engage them is higher on the agenda for any marketeer.
The most influential social and short-form material of the year is honored by the Shorty Impact Awards. The Metaverse Pride Campaign, a collaboration between People of Crypto ( POC ) Lab, NYX Professional Makeup, and The 5th Column, was honored with an Audience Award at the 2023 event that took place this week in Los Angeles. Additionally, the battle won a Gold Pay in the category of Diversity, Equity &, Inclusion.
THE PERSONALITY
On The Sandbox game system via The Valley of Belonging, the battle ran through the summer of 2022. Diversity is deeply ingrained within our company and society, according to Yasmin Dastmalchi, General Manager Nyx Professional Makeup, who spoke with Forbes. The power behind everything we do is our society. We wanted to celebrate with the LGBTQIA + community and establish a safe environment that promoted allyship and self-expression while boosting representation both online and offline.
A voxelized nonfungible token ( NFT ) avatar collection that debuted just before the experience was central to the idea. The estimated 84.3 % global majority population of BIPOC and LGBTQIA + communities, with characteristics including over 36 skin tones, various abilities like prosthetic limbs, and cultural identifiers like the hijab, were represented by the sellout 8, 430 drop. Each party represented in the Progress Pride flag had NYX Cosmetics beauty looks featured on it, and all money raised went to the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
The Valley of Belonging, which was also populated by non-player characters ( NPCs ) from drag queens and avatars in wheelchairs who led visitors through the experience, allowed players to play these avatar games. A sky group with an illustrated dance floor and the phrase” State Gay” served as its climax.
The goal was to make Pride universal because” there are so many places in the world where Pride does not occur and where being gay is outlawed,” according to Akbar Hamid, co-founder of PoC Lab. Hamid describes himself as a queer Muslim from South Asia.
Akbar Hamid, a co-founder of POC Laboratory.
POC Laboratory
Studies
The Pew Research Center’s findings, which found that nearly 40 % of Millennials and Gen Z in the U.S. identify as LGBTQIA+, provided insight into the experience. The same is true of Intel, which found that 81 % of Gen Z actively participate in gaming.
The team discovered a gap when putting these up. Hamid remarked,” We did n’t see the diversity of the gaming community reflected in the games produced.” As a result, the concept of “diverse, inclusive, safe, and celebratory environment” was born. It called for the representation of BIPOC, disabled, LGBTQIA + gaming communities in the communities they frequented.
A really open metaverse, according to Sebastien Borget, COO and co-founder of The Sandbox, requires diversity, capital, and participation. The metaverse “must split barriers and build an equitable, welcoming international community” rather than copying the prejudices and disparity of the real world.
He stated that” Our goal for The Sandbox is to develop a seamless, shared digital environment where worlds and brands come together to create an environment that welcomes everyone to take part, join in, build, and play.”
METAVERSE Narrative
When it came to NYX Cosmetics ‘ involvement, the lack of a particular product was significant. The online native Gen-Z, which favors manufacturers that share their values, agrees with this emphasis on brand ethos more than product promotion.
According to Hamid,” Brands may not lead with product-first operated strategies for universe and virtual worlds.” Gen-Z audiences are not interested in being sold goods in game settings. These rich, imaginative, and interactive environments should be used by companies to tell stories.
For worlds, according to him, offer “occasions to inform and amuse, to elevate and celebrate the areas and causes you stand for.” Let these viewers feel as though they are a part of your vision and company, so they will feel deeply connected and understood.
He acknowledged that Web2 platforms like Instagram and TikTok continue to be popular, but he argued that none of them” create a unique culture” where users can “enter, engage, observe, interact, and really feel like they are truly part of the company.”
He cited Metaverse Pride, Cultureverse, and Walmart—another POC program that honored 50 decades of Hip Hop in the Geographical metaverse—as saying that “gaming and digital spaces are the future of narrative.”
THE SUMMARY
It’s encouraging to know that despite having 17 million customers and 360 thousand people, the experience received about 730 million impressions.
Hamid remarked,” Taking a social time and constructing the experiential knowledge filled with joy and link that speaks to the brands mission, with brand affinity and loyalty that encourages purchase in IRL.” What we did with metaverse pride with NYX Cosmetics within The Sandbox is the perfect example of celebrating the community thatNYX Ceramics stands for every day.
“We showcased how consumer brands can successfully lead with culture,” agreed Simone Berry, the Black and neurodiverse co-founder of POC Laboratory. “Culture drives commerce. Black and brown, women, people of color, and the LGBTQIA+ community have an immense combined spending power and unprecedented cultural influence.”
Hamid continued by saying that different brands in the industry also found a way through the Metaverse Pride knowledge. For instance, World of Women displayed an inclusive art exhibition as part of The Sandbox’s later Belonging Week.
Most recently, e .l .f. beauty has been UP! Roblox practice aimed to gamify societal effects. With an emphasis on education, it inspired users to start their ideal business by gamifying the development of financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills while also bringing attention to cultural issues.
