The pandemic has definitely proved so – with major events having been relocated in virtual realms such as Minecraft or Roblox. Large brands such as IKEA have pioneered initiatives marketing-centric use of AR, using technology to help potential buyers imagine one piece of furniture in their homes. GenAI tools obviously take possibilities to a new realm
Coca-Cola Masterpiece:
There is even a fashion house of the metaverse, Auroboros.
However, Neha Singh took it one notch further, with Obsess, offering luxury and mainstream brands the virtual store platform to showcase & sell in the metaverse. Formerly a software engineer at Google and head of Product at Vogue, Neha noticed how the e-shopping experience is mostly just like 15 years ago: a white grid of product shots. So, she decided to help brands translate their premium, memorable in-store experiences into digital environments.
In 2017, she founded Obsess, successfully boosting luxury brands digital performances. Since then, Obsess has created over 250 virtual stores, from top brands such as as Ralph
Lauren, Charlotte Tilbury, Coach, Corona. The impact is real and solidly backed by numbers, so Ad Age has nominated Singh among their Web3 Marketing Trailblazers 2023.
We know that today’s consumers, especially younger consumers, are so used to visual content and interactivity because of social media and gaming. But ecommerce has really lagged behind in that experience. So Obsess exists to give brands a new, more engaging, more visual and branded way to present their products online.
- Explained Singh for Wunderman Thompson
Since the lockdowns, more brands have expanded in the metaverse: Balenciaga selling skins for digital characters in Fortnite, digital influencers such as Lil Miquela are sweeping over Instagram, Adidas partnered with Bored Ape Yacht Club, Gmoney and Punks Comic for a branded NFT collection, while, more recently, Levi started to use Lalaland’s AI presenters to increase diversity (but, they don’t plan to give up working with real models[1]).
Brands that have been courageous enough to invest in an Obsess digital brand environment reaped their gains. For example, Debbie Haag, Vice President of Marketing for American Girl explained that “it takes five to seven touchpoints with the American Girl brand before a customer makes a purchase. That’s why having rich virtual content is worth investing in…it adds another interactive element to our brand.”[2]
Alo Yoga kicked off their metaverse presence in Roblox, creating an immersive Alo Sanctuary experience, with yoga classes, sound baths and all things healing. It received 65 million visits, a solid reason to take the initiative further. As such, Alo Yoga reached out to Obsess to create an augmented digital shopping experience, which was launched at 2023 New York Fashion Week.
If last year’s hot word was “metaverse”, this year’s might very well be “GenAI” so we need to keep our eyes peeled to see how those two intertwine.
The medical industry ought to be in the spotlight, as the potential for augmented research / R&D AND patient-centric experiences is enormous. For example, Medartis kicked off this initiative 2 years ago already, partnering with Takeaway Reality to create a bespoke app to showcase their top-of-line surgical plates – a tool that has proven useful for both training and patient talks. Or, we cannot unsee the robotics & AI application of stitching an egg:
We’re elated to see how Neha Singh envisions the future of augmented realities, metaverses, AI to create more engaging, more compelling customer experiences across industries.
When more and more people label themselves as gamers, how soon shall we expect to move to Roblox? Or perhaps you’d rather go to Minecraft?
Neha Singh will indulge us with brand stories from the digital realms at the IAA Global Conference, on October 31st. Did you secure your spot?
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The IAA Global Conference “Creativity 4 Better” takes place on October 31st, in Bucharest. Book your ticket now and let yourself inspired by international creatives from numerous disciplines: Felix Richter – CCO & Creative Partner at Mother London, Robert Solomon – “father” of client services, author of the renowned “The Art of Client Service” or Di Mayze, Global Head of Data & AI for WPP, to name just a few.
Ready to stir your creativity?
[1] https://petapixel.com/2023/03/24/levis-to-use-ai-generated-models-to-increase-diversity/
[2] Obsessar.com
