In 2022, Verse Digital was established by the leaders of some of the earliest multiplayer projects, including LEGO Universe, RuneScape, Avakin Life, and Decentraland. With extensive experience in the realms of advertising, publishing, video games, and consulting, they set out to create an agency that partners with brands, helping them to maximise engagement with their Web3, metaverse, and spatial web projects. Today, the Verse Digital team consists of some of the best 3D designers, architects, artists, and project managers. Collectively, their experience spans various virtual worlds and development engines, including Unity and Unreal Engine 5, the industry standards for VR, AR, and XR development. With a rich background in gaming, Verse Digital is focused on gamification. It strives to transform traditionally passive consumer touch points into experiences that are active and participatory, encouraging the customer to engage with brands for a longer time. Verse Digital has successfully employed this approach on numerous occasions, creating unique consumer experiences for brands like emerging AI firms SingularityNET, Twin Protocol, Rainbird, Powder, and Flippit, as well as US jewellery retailer Ben Bridge. For Ben Bridge, Verse Digital created a virtual brand experience for the 2023 Metaverse Fashion Week in Decentraland. The agency’s first goal was to ensure that the experience fit in with the celebration and glitz of the event. Its second goal was to create a user flow that would take visitors on a compelling journey, seamlessly telling them the story of Ben Bridge. Verse Digital added quests and a ‘learn-to-earn’ mechanic, aiming to encourage return visitors and establish a closer connection between consumer and brand. Over a four-day period, Decentraland’s Metaverse Fashion Week 2023 saw a total of 60 participating brands, an estimated 26,000 unique active users, and almost 60,000 total experience visits. Half of these users were new to the platform, indicating that they had joined specifically for the event and therefore had a real interest in fashion. Ultimately, the Ben Bridge store, created by Verse Digital, garnered 47,695 minutes of visit time. Adidas and Coach, brands with far larger global reputations, both placed in the low 30,000s. Verse Digital’s work on this project was featured in numerous renowned publications, including Vogue Business, Decrypt, Bankless, and The Drum. For example, in Vogue Business, Maghan McDowell commented, “Ben Bridge - a breakout success story - drove engagement time by borrowing from a Roblox-style playbook in which quests, challenges, and treasure hunts reward visitors with free wearables.” Whilst there is no doubt that Verse Digital has achieved exceptional results for its clients, the agency has faced a number of challenges since its establishment. Following the announcement of Meta at the end of 2021, the metaverse and Web3 industries experienced a huge increase in interest. However, there was a subsequent downturn, which had a major impact on perceptions of the space, technology, and opportunities for brands. Despite this, Verse Digital persisted, working to prove the relevance and effectiveness of its services for brands. Although the downturn led to a decrease in available business for the agency, it also shone a light on the remaining companies with something tangible and valuable to offer the world. Now, brands are realising that, considering its potential to generate up to $5 trillion in value by 2030, the metaverse is too big for them to ignore. Verse Digital maintains that gamification is central to audience migration to Web3 and the metaverse, making it a powerful business tool that is proven to engage and retain attention. For its excellent work, Verse Digital has been awarded the title of Most Innovative Web3 Creative Agency, UK, in the Business Elite Awards 2024. In the years to come, the agency plans to break free from the limitations of existing ecosystems by engaging in the development of new platforms. It will also focus on working with AR and the spatial web, as well as creating bespoke activations and Web3-centric products for brands and organisations. Contact: Justin Edwards Company: Verse Digital Web Address: versedigital.org Based in Cambridge, Verse Digital is a Web3 creative agency that joins forces with brands across the world to create the next wave of immersive virtual experiences, leveraging the power of Web3 and the metaverse. Here, we explore the agency’s work in the wake of its success in winning Most Innovative Web3 Creative Agency, UK, in the Business Elite Awards 2024. Pioneering the New Wave of Gamified Virtual Experiences
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