Heineken Launches Virtual Beer in Self-Mocking Metaverse 'Joke'
upstart writes:
Heineken launches virtual beer in self-mocking metaverse 'joke':
A brewer has created a virtual beer to highlight the extremes businesses will go to to grab a slice of the next big thing - the metaverse. Heineken set up a virtual launch to promote the "product" - an experience described by one attendee as surreal. The metaverse does not yet exist but many believe people will one day spend their time in inter-connected virtual worlds, accessed via a VR headset.
The firm said it was "an ironic joke... that pokes fun at us and other brands".
The mock launch - to which real journalists were invited - took place in a virtual brewery in Decentraland - a virtual world owned by its users. And the beer was described as being brewed with "binary-coded hops grown by NPC (non-player character) farmers".
The firm's global head of brand, Bram Westenbrink, said: "We know that the metaverse brings people together in a light-hearted and immersive way but it's just not the best place to taste a new beer.
"Our new virtual beer is an ironic joke. It is a self-aware idea that pokes fun at us and many other brands that are jumping into the metaverse with products that are best enjoyed in the real world."
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