Published: December 8, 2023
Reebok will turn to the metaverse as it strives to expand the opportunities consumers have to interact with its products, from footwear to apparel.
In 2024, this will kick into gear with the “Reebok Impact” premiere, which aspires to create “a mind and heart-bending” digital shoe experience.
As is somewhat evident in the video below, that experience will leverage various elements of AI, web3, gaming, and metaverse technologies.
Thrilled to announce our exclusive partnership with @Reebok to leverage our AI and metaverse technology to revolutionize digital fashion.
Together, we introduce @ReebokImpact. Coming 2024. pic.twitter.com/30Qk02aujk
— Futureverse (@futureverse) December 7, 2023
Reebok teamed up with Futureverse to begin its metaverse adventure, and this promises to be only the first step in a “long-term” partnership.
Those next steps will include the addition of new functionalities, integrations, and experiences.
Digging deeper into the partnership, Todd Krinsky, CEO of Reebok, said:
Our partnership with Futureverse and the upcoming launch of Reebok Impact enables us to transcend traditional boundaries of innovation to engage our consumers in the digital evolution of our products in ways that redefine the realm of possibility.
In making the move, Reebok follows a path well-trodden, with Adidas, Nike, and Puma taking similar steps to make digital wearables available in the metaverse.
Nike has gone the furthest. Indeed, the business even launched Nikeland, a “micro metaverse” built within the Roblox ecosystem.
Yet, it has made many more moves to embrace the mad world of XR.
For instance, it launched a SWOOSH Web3 Community Platform, opened an XR concept store in Seoul, and – in 2021 – bought out a leading studio designing NFT artworks.
However, Shara Senderoff and Aaron McDonald, Co-Founders of Futureverse, believe its work with Reebox will prove just as pioneering.
In a joint statement, they said: “We are beyond excited to announce our exclusive partnership with Reebok, a testament to our shared belief that life is a journey of active participation, not observation.
“It’s an invitation for consumers to step into a world in which their digital footprint is as significant as their physical one.
Together, we’re pioneering digital possibilities where every step tells a story, and every story shapes our world.
Futureverse is a novel company with market momentum, comprising 11 metaverse infrastructure and creative content firms.
After launching only last year, it has already amassed one of the world’s most extensive, bustling metaverse communities.
Moreover, many gaming titles have utilized its AI-backed digital collectibles, including the FIFA-backed “AI League” sports sensation.
As such, it’s perhaps no surprise that it caught Reebok’s eye and secured a $54m Series A investment round to build the AI metaverse.
Yet, now, as it works with Reebok, it will have to compete in an increasingly competitive space.
Some fascinating recent moves within it include L’Oréal developing a month-long metaverse showroom and Jack Daniel’s “first-ever” metaverse experience.
