Havas Group, which is physically present in over 100 countries with 68 villages, now owns a plot of virtual land in The Sandbox (a sandbox game for mobile phones and Microsoft Windows).
The Group plans to inaugurate its 69th village as a virtual one, which will also be the destination for conferences, events, concerts, client presentations, product launches and more by making use of programming, exclusive content, connected animation and gamification.
The world of advertising and public relations finally meets the world of the metaverse, with the French ad firm Havas snapping up its own plot of virtual land in The Sandbox video game with plans to make its first virtual Village (the 69th Havas Village).
Havas SA is a French multinational advertising and public relations company, headquartered in Paris, France. It operates in more than 100 countries and is one of the largest global advertising and communications groups in the world. Havas consists of three main operational divisions.
Havas Group’s role is to support brands in the development of their communication strategies, and aim of creating this Havas Village in the metaverse is to help brands launch successfully into virtual adventure and join forces to employ programming, exclusive content, connected animation and gamification.
Yannick Bolloré, chairman and CEO of Havas Group, said the metaverse provides a wealth of new media and new opportunities for the communications sector and for brands. Whether the aim is to create original and meaningful experiences, reach out to new target audiences, or simply reinforce an existing bond, he added that the possibilities are practically endless.
“Our new Havas Village will be a ‘meta-flagship’ for the Group, drawing all our engaged communities together in an enriched extension of our bricks-and-mortar Villages,” he said.
Meanwhile, Havas Group’s global chief HR officer, Céline Merle-Beral, said the Group is now banking on the metaverse because it is convinced of its potential in terms of accessing creative and innovative profiles, with highly sought-after skills ranging from tech to data.
“In doing so, the Group is enhancing its employer brand, offering an enriched candidate experience, and breaking new ground in our campus management strategy. The metaverse is a fantastic opportunity for us to attract tomorrow’s top talent,” she said.
Last year, the Group launched Metaverse by Havas, a new consulting, creative and media offer, dedicated to brands that, in the metaverse, see opportunities to reinvent branding, storytelling, experience, audience targeting and revenue generation