The ‘internet’ we experience today was very different 10-15 years ago. Back then who would have thought that there would be virtual worlds where people could meet their favourite celebrities and click pictures with them?!
Say hello to the ‘Metaverse’ – the virtual world where dreams do come true! And one such dream belonged to many cricket fans who recently had the opportunity to meet their favourite cricketers in the metaverse.
During the ongoing T20 tournament, Nestlé MUNCH provided users with a one-of-a-kind experience – they united fans and cricketers in the one of a kind meet-and-greet in the metaverse.
Joining hands with 4 leading teams as the ‘Official Crunch Partners’, they launched limited edition packaging featuring some of the players of the franchisee. The packs came with a special QR code, scanning which the consumer was led to a 3D cricket stadium.
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On entering the stadium, fans had three options – to click photos with players, play games, and redeem rewards. Different Nestlé MUNCH packs led fans to an experience tailored for different teams. For example, if a consumer scanned a pack featuring Sunrisers Hyderabad, they would have the option to click pictures with cricketers from that specific team.
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The fun thing about taking pictures with cricketers was that the option came with attractive AR filters. Fans could click a picture of themselves on their balcony, living room or anywhere else and the players would look like they were standing next to them!
On to the next option, there are 3 different games that one could play – Pinball, Runout, and Doodle.
By collecting points after playing each of these games, fans could redeem them to win exciting prizes. These included customized digital merchandise, signed physical merchandise, digital posters, and the best of them all – an opportunity to meet and greet their favourite cricketers in the metaverse!
Consumers who won a chance to go to the meet-and-greet were then invited to the metaverse to interact with players from the franchisees partnered with.
Fans were in for a surprise as they could enter the metaverse environment through an avatar of their choosing and interact with the avatars of cricketers present who were also sharing their screens. It was an interactive session where fans could ask them questions and even click pictures with them. How cool is that! ?
As we know, several people suffer from self-doubt. This is something that many cricketers have experienced themselves and have overcome hardships through hard work and confidence. Nestlé MUNCH did not just take the cricketing fever to a whole new level, but also gave a chance to such fans to meet their heroes and learn about their journeys, secrets to success and values – hence giving them a mental boost of much-needed confidence and inspiration!
As rare as it is to meet these cricketing stars in real life, in the metaverse, fans met them in close virtual proximity. Because modern problems require modern solutions. ?
While big tech companies are busy trying to build metaverses, kudos to Nestlé MUNCH for giving us a taste of the future; a future where existing boundaries between cricket fans and their idols will be blurred and new immersive experiences will be the norm.
Cheers! ?