Budweiser’s new metaverse plans include ‘Virtual Clydesdales’
Tie-ups with Dwyane Wade, FIFA and the holidays are also part of brand's metaverse roadmap.
Koichiko
Budweiser this week released a roadmap outlining future activations for its branded metaverse, known as the “Budverse.”
The illustration, which appeared in a tweet yesterday from the brewer’s official account, depicts a train moving along a track, which is punctuated by various checkpoints, some already completed (as marked by a green checkmark) and others still to come.
One of these upcoming activations is a checkpoint dubbed "Virtual Clydesdales," suggesting the brewer’s hallmark horses will soon receive a metaverse makeover. While parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev declined to provide specifics, the move could potentially involve Zed Run, an NFT horse racing game. Stella Artois, Budweiser’s sister brand, is a sponsor of Zed Run. At the very least, a Clydesdale-inspired NFT drop could be in the cards.
“These new [Web3] marketplaces are changing the way we look at everything, from sponsorships and partnerships, to social and creative campaigns,” wrote Spencer Gordon,VP of consumer connections at AB InBev, in an email. “The roadmap is only a glimpse of how we plan to push the boundaries of the metaverse’s capabilities.”
Metaverse roadmaps are a common component of NFT projects, in order for projects to promote their upcoming plans.
Budweiser, whose metaverse strategy is supported by VaynerNFT, has been one of the more active mainstream brands within Web3.
Not only has the brewer dropped two NFT collections, but it has also registered an official domain name—Beer.eth—on the Ethereum network (reflected in its Twitter profile), co-hosted an NFT-themed festival at its flagship brewery and released Beer.eth merch among other efforts. These efforts are depicted in the roadmap as completed checkpoints.
As for what’s still to come, the Budverse roadmap also includes a "D. Wade x Budverse" checkpoint, suggesting that former NBA player Dwyane Wade will soon appear in a tie-up with the branded metaverse. Professional basketball has been one of the most active spaces in partnering with Web3 companies and technology. Most recently, NBA star Stephen Curry starred in a campaign with crypto exchange FTX, with whom he is also a shareholder. The NBA this week dropped a new NFT collection, although bugs in the underlying smart contract allowed users to exploit it.
Other upcoming checkpoints on the Budverse roadmap include "FIFA World Cup x Budverse" and "Budverse Holiday." These activations underscore Budweiser’s strategy of leveraging special occasions and cultural moments to promote its Budverse—an approach that Gordon confirmed with Ad Age.
