US' Victoria's Secret's brand Happy Nation debuts in metaverse

The integration also includes a play-to-donate partnership with philanthropic partner Undies for Everyone. Happy Nation launched in April 2022 with early details of plans to enter the metaverse, a first for any brand within the Victoria’s Secret family. As a fully digital brand for tweens, the Happy Nation hub on the Roblox platform is a unique way the brand plans to engage this key audience and inspire giving back to the community. The hub lives within BayView, a popular role-playing experience on Roblox, and was developed in collaboration with SuperAwesome, a kidtech platform that enables safe digital engagement with young audiences around the world, according to a press release by Victoria’s Secret.

Roblox community members can find the Happy Nation hub via a branded portal located in the main square within the BayView experience. From there, they can access three Obbys. The ‘Friendly to the Planet’ Obby is focused on ecological and sustainability themes where Happy Nation bees pollinate flowers until they bloom to the point where competitors can jump on them to reach higher levels. This Obby also includes a butterfly-guided maze.

The ‘Empowered to Give’ Obby is designed to encourage giving to others by having participants collect presents along the course that they give to a non-player character (NPC) at the end of the game. The ‘Connected to Our Community’ Obby is friendship-themed, that fosters collaboration as community members work in groups of three to overcome obstacles, according to Victoria’s Secret.

The timed course can be explored in any order and involves running, jumping, and solving puzzles while collecting Happy Nation rainbows to fill a personal ‘Happy Metre’ along the way. Completely filling the meter results in celebratory fireworks, a boost in speed and doubled points for collecting rainbows until the end of the Obby.

There’s a virtual Happy Nation tote bag reward for completing one Obby. While in the hub area, visitors can check out the Happy Nation capsule collection, visit the photo booth, relax in the outdoor lounge area or go to the Wall of Happy, displaying usernames of those who completed all three Obbys.

“The Happy Nation brand was launched to reflect the needs and values of Gen Alpha, with their parents in mind. Inclusivity and environmental sustainability are central to who they are. As the most tech-savvy generation yet, we wanted to introduce them to Happy Nation in the digital space where they choose to spend their time, the metaverse. This is a new demographic and environment for our company. The metaverse integration has been an exciting project for our team and is a big step in our journey to authentically engage with our Happy Crew and collaborate with wonderful organisations like Undies for Everyone, providing children living in poverty or crisis with new underwear,” Susan Anderson, vice president of creative at Happy Nation, said in a statement.

“Underwear insecurity – the lack of sufficient, clean and size-appropriate underwear – is a growing problem in the US and often creates a challenging ripple effect for children in crisis that can hinder success in the classroom and on the playground. We are excited to partner with Happy Nation providing new underwear to children who need it most, recognising the importance of this small basic need as part of a child’s increased chances of long-term success,” Amy Weiss, executive director of Undies for Everyone, said.

“The pre-teen and tween audiences of today are coming of age at a time when immersive games and early metaverse experiences are increasingly well-established. These spaces are so popular because they allow gamers to express their identities, think critically, socialise, and learn new skill sets. Happy Nation’s integration builds on all of this by piquing imagination with its bright, gender-free and fun Obbys that also make a difference for others IRL. The experience is innovative, entertaining and gives back to a charitable cause - all key elements of a Happy Nation,” Jon Hamblin, gaming creative director for SuperAwesome, said.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (GK)