Burberry is pursuing its goal of appealing to younger generations and, for the first time, experimenting with digital ownership.
At the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, the British heritage brand established a partnership with Mythical Games.
The days of large launches occurring just during fashion week are long gone. The label will release an NFT vinyl toy Blanko for the game Blankos Block Party as part of the tie-in. Although Burberry has yet to disclose the design, the toy will see the daylight in July.
Players can collect, upgrade, and subsequently sell digital toys as part of the game. Gaming corporations are pushing for digital ownership in the industry, which is fuelling a new “play-to-earn economy.”
The label’s chief marketing officer Rod Manley remarked, “Being a part of this creative and pioneering community with Mythical Games is an incredible synergy for us and a perfect evolution of our existing engagement with the gaming communities.”
Digital ownership
“Player ownership is the future of games, and our driving principle is making these new economies a reality. Blankos Block Party sits at the intersection of games, art, music and fashion. And presents players and collectors new ways to engage with and even own a piece of the brands,” said Nicole Yang, Mythical Games’ vice president of marketing.
“This is our first exploration into the world of NFTs, unlocking an entire new platform of possibilities, empowering digital natives and gamers to own a piece of our brand and to actively engage and participate with our house codes.”
B Bounce, the brand’s own game in which users control a Burberry-clad cartoon character and win bespoke GIFs and virtual Burberry puffers, has been experimenting with online gaming for a while, starting in China and moving to Asia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada.
It collaborated with Tencent to build a social shopping store in Shenzhen last summer. Shoppers are encouraged to activate their WeChat accounts while they navigate the store, creating virtual and real-life discoveries.
The store offers games, tailored experiences, and the ability for customers to build and spend “social money,” all in a hyper-polished, future setting, thanks to a custom-made, micro WeChat application.
Burberry’s chief executive officer Marco Gobbetti had remarked, “The more you engage, the more you unlock. Both in terms of content, features, experiences. It really is about connecting, joining the dots between social and physical.”
Burberry and Elle Digital Japan collaborated in March to create a virtual copy of its Ginza flagship in Tokyo. Customers used digital icons to browse around the virtual store and make purchases. As a result, it enabled visitors to peruse and shop the spring 2021 collection.