Are we in Chanel’s virtual reality era?

You may not know the multisensory experience of “Le Bal de Paris” by name, but the performance is capturing the attention of some of luxury’s most influential brands. Earlier this month, after leaving its mark on the likes of Paris, Geneva, and Taipei and winning the title of “Best VR Experience” at the 78th Venice International Film Festival in 2023, the virtual reality-powered production landed in Singapore. Set within a Parisian ballroom, guests immersed themselves in the city’s extravagance, complete with virtual outfits. And who better to design those outfits than the staple of French elegance, Chanel? In other Web3 news this week, Nike has released the second volume of its “Airphoria” experience in collaboration with Fortnite. Can the activation keep up with the high expectations of gaming aficionados? Chanel designs digital outfits for award-winning virtual reality experience What happened: As part of the Le Bal de Paris multisensory VR experience, where participants wear body-tracking devices and immersive headsets, Chanel has designed a series of digital garments for guests to wear. The wardrobe includes high-neck gowns and tailored tuxedos in Chanel’s quintessential black and white. The verdict: After shying away from major Web3 projects and hype, Chanel is quietly crafting its own presence in the metaverse. This latest initiative indicates that the brand is eager to explore the potential of virtual reality and how the tech can bring its craftsmanship to the digital world. 2024 is gearing up to be Chanel’s year of Web3-infused activations. In January, the brand launched “Chance The Game,” a gamified experience featuring customizable avatars and mini activities. While designed to attract digital-savvy Gen Z, opting to go independent rather than teaming up with giants like Roblox and Fortnite dented the game’s success, resulting in minimal hype or media discussion. Nike x Fortnite enter second stage of gaming partnership What happened: To celebrate this year’s Air Max Day, which landed on March 26, Nike introduced Volume 2 of its “Airphoria” Fortnite activation. Initially launched in June last year, the second edition of the gamified universe allows players to purchase new cosmetics in the Fortnite Shop and outfit their characters in the latest Air Max Dn. The experience runs until April 2. The verdict: According to Geeiq’s records taken from March 27, the activation has registered fewer than 1,000 visits so far. In contrast, the first edition of the game received over 19,000 active players. As part of the project, the brand introduced a new series of character skins, which appear to have been well-received by Fortnite fans. “These are pretty cool, definitely my favorite of the Nike collabs they’ve done,” one user penned on the online forum Reddit. Creative agency Cult launches tech-driven service ‘Cult Studio’ What happened: Cult, a London and New York-based creative agency specializing in emerging tech, has introduced Cult Studio, an in-house content production service for brands looking to level up their marketing playbooks. The studio aims to “empower brands to unleash creativity, playfulness, and experimentation while prioritizing sustainability” by blending cutting-edge technology with human craft, according to a press release. As part of the project, the studio has partnered with industry trailblazers Ffface.me, an AR specialist agency, and The Future In Black, an AI design studio. The Verdict: The creative studio behind the multidimensional Metaverse Beauty Week, which garnered over 68,000 interactions in Decentraland and took over Flannel’s London flagship store during its debut last June, is evolving. After starting out as a first-of-its-kind experiment to gauge consumer demand and response, Cult has expanded alongside the growth of the virtual beauty industry. “We hope to establish a deep connection for the beauty industry with Web3, demystifying these environments and showing how accessible and beautiful they can be,” Cat Turner, Chief Creative Officer and Co-founder of Cult, told Jing Daily last year.

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Are we in Chanel’s virtual reality era?