How emerging tech showed up at the Olympics

Brat is everywhere, as evidenced by the meteoric rise in lime green intimations making waves across China’s Xiaohongshu. Now, Roblox is joining the fray. This week, the gaming platform’s iconic “Dress to Impress” experience joined forces with Charli XCX to bring the singer’s culture-defining album to the virtual realm. Under the collaboration, players can dress their avatars in the signature slime shade, before competing with their peers for the best look. In other news, Chinese omnichannel giant Alibaba recently unveiled a multi-faceted phygital shopping experience to customers, coinciding with the Olympics season. Situated in the heart of Paris’ shopping district, can the venture help close the chasm between digital and traditional retail? Alibaba hosts tech-heavy retail experience alongside Olympics What happened: A long-time partner of the International Olympics Committee, Chinese omnichannel behemoth Alibaba went all out on the public displays during the Paris 2024 Games. This Summer, the e-commerce giant unveiled its new “Wonder Avenue” pop-up located on the Champs-Élysées avenue, designed to draw consumers in via immersive activations including hyper-personalized shopping experiences, virtual avatars, AI-powered recommendations, and smart assistants. The verdict: Launched alongside the Olympics, Alibaba's latest experience aims to make its advanced shopping technology accessible to the everyday shopper. Known for its commitment to immersive tech, Alibaba is focused on bridging the cognitive gap between digital and physical retail — a challenge it’s addressing by integrating cutting-edge innovations in the heart of luxury's epicenter. The project is the latest move from Alibaba to merge luxury with innovation. Earlier this year, the company announced a strategic partnership alongside LVMH, which will help the fashion conglomerate bolster its digital services across China. Roblox teams up with Charli XCX for ‘Brat summer’ What happened: Roblox has teamed up with musician of the moment Charli XCX to bring the singer’s Brat album to its “Dress to Impress” experience – the platform’s widely popular game that invites players to style outfits and compete in themed contests. The activation, which launched yesterday, features a runway and lobby designed in Brat’s signature lime green hue. Players can also dress their avatars in a series of outfits inspired by XCX’s music videos, including looks taken from her recent smash hit 365. The verdict: With ‘Brat summer’ in full swing, almost everyone has been riding the lime green zeitgeist – from Kamala Harris’ campaign team changing the presidential candidate’s Twitter to Brat green to brands rolling out their own Brat-inspired collections. As Roblox joins the discourse, the collaboration serves as a lesson in how gaming platforms can weave themselves into the current pop zeitgeist and keep their finger on the pulse of youth culture. The platform has emerged as a powerful marketing tool for brands and stars, speaking directly to digital native cohorts of Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Its Dress to Impress game is a hit – according to metaverse data platform Geeiq, the activation has received just shy of 2 billion visits since its launch in January 2023. Adidas Originals collaborates with Doodles and Coi Leray What happened: Media company Doodles has announced its second collaboration with adidas Originals, introducing limited edition apparel, sneakers, and digital wearables tied to its upcoming animated special, "Dullsville and the Doodleverse." The collaboration features "Deysi," a character voiced by American rapper and singer Coi Leray, who will appear in both a new music video and as a digital avatar. Fans can participate in a "pack ripping" experience to unlock a mix of physical and digital collectibles, including exclusive items like the adidas Originals x Deysi Tracksuit. The partnership also marks Doodles' first mint on the Ethereum L2 platform, Base. The verdict: Once known predominantly for its NFT community, Doodles has transcended the digital art world to become a globally renown IP. As part of that evolution, the media company has been fleshing out a solid collaboration playbook alongside major names in fashion – its current portfolio includes Crocs, Billionaire Boys Club, and Adidas. The project also taps into the growing sector of fan culture and merchandising, leveraging digitally connected pieces as a means of communication between stars and their supporters; in this case, rising star Coi Leray. Meta Bites: Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli has made its foray into the metaverse alongside The Sandbox. The collaboration marks The Sandbox's first partnership with a sports team, as well as introducing a new form of communication to fans. Through virtual pop-up experiences, fans can chat with SSC Napoli players, enter to win SSC Napoli home game tickets and exclusive signed merchandise, learn about the club, and participate in new games and competitions.

How emerging tech showed up at the Olympics

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Published August 18, 2024

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How emerging tech showed up at the Olympics