NETHERLANDS, AMSTERDAM – Global digital agency Dept has today announced the launch of its dedicated Metaverse Practice to help brands redefine the way they interact with consumers. The Metaverse Practice includes around 100 crypto and blockchain developers, games builders, 3D artists and creators, virtual and augmented reality experts and software engineers who have spent the last year pioneering innovative Web3 and metaverse experiences for clients.
Dept is currently working with several global brands from fashion, entertainment and commerce, and will be launching a number of new projects ranging from immersive experiences to NFT marketplaces in the coming weeks.
“Over the last year, we’ve gained a lot of experience with Web3 technologies to really get under the skin for how we can help our clients develop customer experiences like we’ve never seen before,” said Max Pinas, executive creative director of Dept. “Brands now have the opportunity to build fully immersive, 3D worlds from the ground up, and extend the customer experience into a whole new reality. With our dedicated Metaverse Practice, we are able to build the bridge between the CMO and CTO. We see it as a creative opportunity akin to the first-ever websites; we’re at the dawn of a new digital age.”
Over the past twelve months, Dept has been at the forefront of Web3 innovation, achieving a series of firsts in the market:
- May 2021 – In a multi-award-winning project, Dept created the Eurovision Village 2021 – a 3D virtual world. The groundbreaking virtual experience brought together tens of thousands of visitors from across the globe in a unique experience to celebrate the Eurovision Song Contest Rotterdam 2021.
- September 2021 – Teamed up with Journee to launch the first-ever Meta Festival, where over 4,000 people visited the Metapolis world to hear talks from digital pioneers.
- November 2021 – Launched the first open source, white-label solution, called Algomart, for launching an NFT marketplace, built on top of the Algorand blockchain. Since then, Motorsport Games used Algomart to launch its 24-hour Virtual Le Mans marketplace, and the Drone Racing League became the first sports league to run an NFT marketplace through Algorand. Currently, major international brands and retailers are developing new marketplaces on Algomart.
Taking the learnings from these projects, Dept has combined expertise from across its 2,500+ strong team to launch its global Metaverse Practice. Dept’s practice includes expertise in blockchain technology, decentralised applications, AR, immersive experiences, cryptocurrency and data, along with massive creative marketing power.
Dept has also announced that it will launch the world’s first 24 hours in the metaverse event in June 2022, connecting all corners of the globe in the biggest Meta Festival to date. The event will bring together future-focused innovators, tech, brands, and people to a virtual event location called Metapolis, with hundreds of talks, music, workshops and more.
