The Drum (07/08/22) Murray, Nicola

Saatchi Sport & Entertainment's business director Nicola Murray writes that the metaverse can expand the presence of music festivals this summer. She points to the Coachella festival and Absolut's deployment of Absolut.Land, a metaverse-enabled brand activation involving attendees' avatars garbed in digital dresses and accessories inspired by Coachella. "The metaverse has opened the minds of creatives, whether that be for a brand or the artists themselves," Murray adds. "Flume's DJ set at Coachella was surrounded by augmented reality (AR) birds and flowers that enveloped the main stage." Murray continues that "huge opportunities" exist for brand partners to bring immersive digital experiences to U.K. festivals, citing offerings that provide "the perfect synergy of hedonistic fun and headliners. For the rights holder, a brand sponsorship deal will be judged on how it has added value to the festival fan — yet for the brand it's becoming increasingly important to create activations that carry impact beyond the festival fields. Through timely planning, great ambition and integrated innovation, there is every opportunity for a brand to take center stage."

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