The Metaverse has come to real life. Heineken’s latest ad campaign is a real event that’s ‘in the Metaverse’, but it’s actually in Shoreditch.
If that’s confusing, let me (try and fail to) explain. You know what a bar is right? Those big rooms where people drink alcohol. They can vary, you get (s)wanky ones with mirrors, fancy lighting and £4 pints for £7. You can also get proper bars, more of a pub vibe, hearty meals, no pretension and £4 pints for £4 (or less). So that’s a bar. Now imagine one of those bars but in the Metaverse1 (think of that as some weird online club, like club penguin but not as cool). Then imagine a Metaverse bar in real life! Not making sense? Join the club.
Web 3 seems like an interesting and exciting area. But its problem is that it’s stuck doing normal internet, or real life things, in crypto world. NFTs, an interesting concept, are probably not at their best use-case being used to discern who owns which grotesque £500k monkey. And saying ‘they could be used for tickets for events’ doesn’t hold much water when we already have digital (and physical) tickets to do that job, it’s hardly solving the big problems of the world. But now Web 3 seems to be taking on the challenge of socialisation. But of course it socialisation by nerds, for nerds. Fake names, a pixelated face, and to take part you sit alone in your room without the need to shower or even put on clothes.
This is par for the course for brands, hopping onto trends with all the authenticity and grace of Scooby Doo pretending to be a grandma in Scooby Doo: The Movie2. Add it onto the list of Pride, BLM, Ukraine as the latest ‘look how much we care about the latest thing’ gauging that brands do. In 2022 it’s no longer enough for a brand to simply make tasty bread, they must also tweet ‘gm’ and release a 'limited NFT collection of rolls’. Brands are trying not to miss the boat on ‘Web3’. They’ve been sold on it becoming the future, or rather they’ve been told about all the people who got crypto rich and now have money to go around. So they throw money at it hoping they can make more out of it, and employ whichever ad agency includes the most buzzwords in their pitch deck.
Crypto seemed like more fun when it was underground, decentralised and corporate free - the original idea of the crypto world. I’m not sure the new crypto scene with terrible Matt Damon adverts, the Crypto.com arena and brands gouging the fun out of the entire sector is what Vitalik and co. had in mind. The selling point of crypto for a while was the decentralised aspect of it all, and nothing says decentralisation like a single, massive company sponsoring one of LA’s most well known sports and concert venues or spending millions on a half-time SuperBowl ad - how very underground indeed.
Back to the bar, that isn’t a bar, that is a bar. This was some dodgy half baked idea in an ad agency that only got the nod because it includes the word ‘Metaverse’ - once again ad agencies proving they are incredibly out of touch with society. Another example of alienating much of the population, I’m not sure big Daz in Hull is scrambling for a ticket to the Metaverse IRL. What’s even better is they don’t even sell any alcohol. An event, put on by a beer company without any drinks, genius. Can't wait to hear how much they got paid for that one. Pretending to drink hasn’t been cool since you were 7 at a party with your parents sipping Shloer out of the fanciest glasses you could find (and reach).
Advertising is a fickle business. There’s weird coercive, scarcity focused digital ads, all the way to Johnny Depp burying jewellery in the desert to promote aftershave. Good advertising doesn’t have to make sense, but a beer brand hosting an oxymoronic event that’s actually a booze free party might be a step too far. How that’s meant to convince someone to buy your booze I truly don’t know. What happened to the Costco tactic of offering a wee free sample? You like it, you buy it, simple. Speaking of which, I need a drink - a real one.
There could be a whole other essay on how the metaverse doesn’t exist. It’s not a thing, there is no one ‘metaverse’ and it’s overuse is pointless and weird for something that doesn’t exist. Anyway fun buzz word for Ad people at least!
For the uncultured:
"But of course it socialisation by nerds, for nerds. Fake names, a pixelated face, and to take part you sit alone in your room without the need to shower or even put on clothes."
Brutal.
Really inventive take on the side of the space that takes us for fools. Linking it to the cashing in on virtue is a smart move.