Experiential events expert TBA Group has announced its partnership with global metaverse specialist Virtual Brand Group (VBG) to launch brands, leagues, entertainment IP and personalities in the metaverse.
Focused on establishing connections between iconic brands such as Formula 1, Take That and Doc Martens to their fans and customers, TBA Group consists of TBA plc, Top Banana, Velocity, VHE, Zest, LGA, and Optimum. The differentiated group of creative agencies aims to deliver outstanding experiential events using creativity, insight-led ideas and technology, and proved its ability throughout the pandemic, leveraging the opportunity of virtual events.
Guy Horner, CEO of TBA Group, says: “Brands are racing to figure out their virtual strategy and navigate the vast and unpredictable metaverse technologies, communities and revenue opportunities that are rapidly evolving. The partnership with VBG will enable TBA Group to push the boundaries of creativity with full-service offering for brands to capitalise on this once in a generation growth opportunity.”
VBG transforms brands by building and operating their metaverse business and communities across billions of consumers and all web 3.0 technologies, from social gaming to blockchain to NFTs and beyond.
Most recently, VBG successfully built and launched global fashion brand Forever 21’s immersive Roblox experience and avatar merchandise programme, partnering with over 30 of the world’s top digital designers. Roblox has over 202 million players per month and over 50 million per day. In addition, VBG pioneered “Infinite Loop Marketing”, which connects virtual commerce to e-commerce.
The two companies will collaborate on placing TBA’s clients across music, sports and entertainment brands into the metaverse. The partnership aims to offer the world’s first end-to-end “phygital” (physical to digital) experiential platform that delivers a seamless journey for consumers and brands that happen simultaneously in both worlds.
“We are always seeking innovative ways to enhance the experiences that we create for our clients and their customers,” says Guy Horner. “Due to the impacts of Covid, interaction in the virtual world has accelerated, offering brands the opportunity to co-exist, and co-create, in the virtual and physical world. It unlocks the opportunity for consumers to interact with products and experiences in a creative way that does not exist in a physical world.
“We are very excited about this opportunity with VBG and are already working with clients to put them in the metaverse, creating more immersive engaging experiences with greater scale and reach.”
Justin Hochberg, VBG’s CEO, adds: “No matter what type of brand, no matter what sector, all consumer-facing brands need to seize this opportunity to experience first-hand the biggest shift in a generation to leapfrog their competitors. Put another way, ‘47% of Gen Z say they’ll discover brands through the metaverse’. TBA and VBG have the tools to make that happen.”
The partnership will launch with TBA and VBG co-hosting an exclusive event for select brand clients featuring industry luminaries, set to take place next month.
David Coulthard, Co-Founder of Velocity, part of TBA Group, says: “Our business is about creating experiences for our partners and it’s a logical next step for us to put brands into the metaverse. There is huge appetite right now to exploit metaverse opportunities as it expands the audience as well as extending the experience beyond a physical event.”
