LONDON, UK — London’s big Pride Parade on Saturday, July 2 is the backdrop for the world’s first-ever real-world and metaverse collaboration to be seen on digital out-of-home (DOOH) screens.
The event is presented by media company Ocean Outdoor in partnership with creative technology crypto fashion and digital arts studio Immersive KIND and Landsec, owner of the Piccadilly Lights.
For 10 minutes at 1:30 pm on July 02, the iconic London screen in Piccadilly Circus will broadcast an immersive digital cultural experience that is also viewable virtually across the metaverse, the web, and via mobile and virtual reality (VR).
Created by The Immersive Kind and inspired by queer LGBTQIA+ metaverse creators and the explosion of crypto fashion in Web3, the DOOH activation highlights the work of queer artists who are pioneering crypto art in the metaverse and beyond.
The Piccadilly Lights sequence sees a series of different avatars created by Kadine James and MCVISUALS on rainbow catwalks and meeting together on a futuristic Pride dance floor.
The screen, which forms part of the route for the Pride in London parade, will feature a QR code that will take audiences to the virtual realm.
Director of Ocean Labs Catherine Morgan said, “Building on Ocean’s entry into the metaverse, for the first time we are able to unite the real and digital worlds. Marking 50 Years of Pride, the world’s most famous ad space celebrates a significant cultural moment, perfectly demonstrating the intersection between digital out of home, real life, and VR experiences in other worlds.”
The Immersive KIND founder Kadine James said, “Through the immersive KIND Metaverse venue we are excited to highlight the work of queer artists and explore issues relevant to all of the colors of the rainbow flag.
“Our work highlights often marginalized LGBTQIA+ voices in the Web3 space by creating an art exhibition for LGBTQIA+ communities. By collaborating with Ocean Outdoor with this new activation on the Piccadilly Lights, we are able to unite the virtual with the real to create a universally safe space and celebration.”
Last year Ocean launched the first stage in its metaverse strategy, auctioning three NFT billboards in partnership with Admix via the world’s largest NFT marketplace, OpenSea, and displayed by the successful bidders within the social VR platform Somnium Space.
This allows Ocean Labs and the Ocean UK sales team to sell an engaged 16 to 34 audience as a cohesive physical and virtual combined offer.
CREDITS:
Agency: The Immersive KIND
Curator: Kadine James
Artists: Kadine James, MCVISUALS
Partners: Studio Multi architects, Spatial, Ready Player Me, Volta XR
Media Space: Ocean Outdoor, Landsec
Project Director: Catherine Morgan Ocean Labs
