Metaverse @ VMLY&R

Visit MetaMmask

Your Key to the Metaverse

• You need a cryptocurrency wallet to access certain virtual worlds. MetaMask lets you buy, store, send, and swap tokens; it’s available as a browser extension and as a mobile app.

• Click here to open an account: https://metamask.io/

• Write down your private key in ‘cold storage’ (i.e. keep it off the internet). Other wallets include Coinbase Wallet, WalletConnect, Fortmatic.

• For an overview of MetaMask: https://youtu.be/YVgfHZMFFFQ (2:14)

• For a guide to getting started: https://youtu.be/GNPz-Dv5BjM (2:00)

Browse NFTs on OpenSea

Building your Worth

NFTs enable one-of-a-kind digital assets, and that has been heavily explored in the space of collectible art. OpenSea is the world’s largest NFT marketplace where you can ‘mint’ (create) or buy & sell NFTs. As of early January 2022, it is worth $13.3B only four years after it was founded.

• Click here to go to OpenSea and create an account. You will need to connect your crypto wallet: https://opensea.io/

• Explore collections and buy an NFT. The “floor price” is the minimum entry bid price; the symbol means Ethereum (worth $3,068.72 on 19 Jan 2022).

• If you or your teams are artistically inclined, you can also mint your own NFTs – for inspiration, see the VMLY&R Goldfish case study.

• Other NFT marketplaces include Rarible, Nifty Gateway, and Binance NFT.

• How to buy an NFT on OpenSea with MetaMask / Coinbase: https://youtu.be/E-1f7oyg0Lo (0:59)

Explore Decentraland

You have arrived

• Jump into a virtual world. Your options here are endless, but one place to start is Decentraland as one of the most open-source and all-purpose worlds. It runs on its own cryptocurrency MANA (for making in-world purchases) and you will need a MetaMask wallet to open an account.

• Enter the world here using your computer: https://play.decentraland.org/

• Create an avatar, walk around the spaces available (using your keys or jumping through the map to certain areas or coordinates), and start a conversation – either a with stranger or a friend / colleague there at the same time.

• Decentraland – getting started: https://youtu.be/N84IE5rTmkE (8:29)

• You might also want to sign up with Roblox or Fortnite to explore a long-standing gaming world. This will demonstrate these established ‘single-purpose’ virtual worlds (often focused on gaming) as opposed to an open, multi-purpose world like Decentraland.

Join a Discord

Join the Community

Christmas 2021 provided massive sales for Meta’s Oculus Quest 2, and when you see the immersive possibilities of VR, the appeal is clear. Either buy or borrow a headset – explore gaming, VR video content, and ‘meeting room applications’ to explore what is possible on today’s dedicated hardware.

• Discord is probably the premier gathering space for communities interested in this space – make an account (https://discord.com/) and search for ‘NFTs’ or ‘decentraland’ to jump into the conversations from long-time and new enthusiasts.

• How to join Discord: https://youtu.be/OIqyPJQAgT4 (3:45)

Understanding your approach

It's one thing to understand what the metaverse is, and an entirely different thing to understand how to exist within it. This playbook illustrates how and why brands would want to establish a present within a metaverse and what makes them successful.

• Know your role within the metaverse. What kind of experiences can we bring to the meta verse? How does it fit into people’s lives?

• What and how does your brand voice resonate within a metaverse platform?

• Explore and understand your audience. How do consumer persona + metaverse persona mix or remain unique?

• Choose the right platforms to thrive. Until there is a single metaverse, knowing where a brand can play is paramount.