For much of the last decade brands, agencies and tech experts have been talking about the development of the phygital world, where the physical and digital elements of our lives have become so intertwined that the two previously separate entities are now indistinguishable from each other.
At GDR, we contend that the continued growth of the metaverse into the mainstream and the rapid development of the technologies underpinning it have now ushered in a new phygital dawn where our experiences in physical and virtual worlds are blending together.
In this article we explore the rise of Metaphysical Experiences that see consumers visiting physical retail stores to virtually try-on digital fashion, trial metaverse technology and to even learn about physical products in immersive, sensorial spaces.
The full-scale Ready Player One vision of the metaverse may still be some way off, but these examples show that the convergence between the physical and virtual world has certainly begun.
Xydrobe
London-based digital fashion business Xydrobe will launch what it is calling the world’s “first luxury VR shopping experience” in 2023. In its VR “retail portals” in key global cities consumers will be able to visit other-worldly locations with bespoke aromas, temperatures, wind and surround sound to completely immersive themselves in a brand’s world.
At the intersection between the metaverse, virtual reality entertainment and digitally-enabled plug and play pop-ups like Sook, Xydrobe is positioning the portals as immersive storytelling and product trial experiences for physical luxury items.
Ferragamo NYC
Salvatore Ferragamo has opened a modular concept store in New York’s Greene Street where immersive and playful digital experiences complement the brand’s high-end physical products.
The headline feature at the 2,600sqft store in Soho is a mirrored NFT creation booth where 256 hand-picked VIP shoppers will be invited to make and mint their own branded NFTs. The installation was created with digital artist Shxpir, who has created a variety of backgrounds that visitors can add different stamps and effects to.
Printemps x Dress X
Printemps brought the metaverse to its Parisian department store in Boulevard Haussmann as part of a collaboration with digital fashion specialists DressX. Using a digital screen powered by artificial intelligence and augmented reality, customers could virtually try on and buy different digital fashion items from DressX.
Customers standing in front of the digital display could choose between five theatrical, otherworldly outfits to try on in a range of different colours. They could then buy these as digital overlays on their pictures, giving the impression they were actually wearing the otherworldly items.
ZERO10
Web3 fashion brand ZERO10 launched a physical pop-up store in New York where visitors could enter dressing rooms to try on its digital fashion pieces.
The one-week pop up in September 2022 was developed with creative design agency Crosby Studios and referred to as a “physical gateway into the metaverse.” The design of the space was inspired by the pixelated appearance of the metaverse, while visitors could scan QR codes and use AR technology to unlock “real-time try-on features and options”.
Solana Spaces
Blockchain and Web3 company Solana has opened a store in New York that it is calling the “world’s first permanent physical retail, educational, and community space dedicated to Web3”. At Solana Spaces in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards visitors can learn more about and buy all of the partner products and services in Solana’s blockchain and Web3 ecosystem.
This includes an onboarding session for the Phantom digital wallet and digital tutorials about how to use partner products, such as trending move-to-earn-crypto game StepN. In-store customers can also preview Solana’s debut smartphone the Saga Web3, while an art installation visualises the activity on the Solana blockchain in real-time.
If you’re interested in any of the themes discussed in this article, get in touch with rachel@gdruk.com to find out how GDR’s consultancy, inspirational speaking, trends and sector reports can help drive positive change in your business.