Kelloggs and Pop Tarts have entered the metaverse for the first time with a new campaign aimed at capturing the attention of Gen Z consumers.
The marketing drive will feature several branded characters that can be collected and traded inside open-world multiplayer game ‘Blankos Block Party’.
The multinational food manufacturing company said that by entering the “virtual world” with the non-fungible token (NFT) characters – called Hip Pop, Punk Pop and Glam Pop – it hopes to attract Gen Z (people aged 18 to 24) who are less familiar with the FMCG brand.
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Blankos Block Party – a video game created by game studio Mythical Games and currently free-to-play on the Epic Games Store – allows players to play alongside and against their friends in various game modes and build their own levels without any coding skills.
Pop Tarts’ involvement in the game represents the first metaverse campaign by a Kellogg’s brand in Europe.
“We’re very excited to be taking Pop Tarts into the metaverse, a first for Kellogg’s in the UK,” said Kellogg’s Pop Tarts brand lead, Emer Hayes.
“Pop Tarts is a fun brand, and by creating NFT characters for a playful virtual world we can better engage with people, particularly gen Z consumers.”
The marketing technology was overseen by Kellogg’s UK media agency Carat and and digital network Dentsu Creative.
“This is a match made in Metaverse heaven,” head of innovation at Dentsu Creative, Alex Hamilton said.
He added: “We’re proud to work in partnership with Mythical Games’ signature title Blankos Block Party to take Pop Tarts into this virtual world. Both are vibrant brands that fit well together on a number of levels.”
The news comes as Kellogg’s opens its new food innovation centre in Manchester, after an 18-month development period and over £500,000 investment.
