• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, October 10, 2022

Here’s one way to celebrate your agency’s big anniversary and get staff and clients up to speed on the usefulness of the metaverse as a marketing channel—throw a party in it.   

Chicago-based marketing agency Blue Chip just held its 40th anniversary party in the metaverse as a way to give employees experience designing and operating in it and clients the chance to imagine marketing opportunities. 

When CMO Dan Eisenberg pitched it to the leadership team, he called it a must-do learning opportunity. More than 100 staffers (out of 150) participated. 

Clients were quickly engaged as well. After a brief test and learn with one client, Eisenberg is now inviting prospects into the space for 30-minute tours to learn what the metaverse is, what brands and companies are doing in it and how their brand can get started.

Sarah VanHeirseele, Chief Growth Officer of Blue Chip says that “Celebrating our anniversary in the metaverse felt like an incredible opportunity to honor our past, while also helping our employees experience and embrace this new space in a fun and engaging way.” She adds that the agency’s burgeoning fluency with the space “positions us well to help our clients roadmap, plan, design and execute metaverse experiences that will deliver positive results."

To prep for the event, Blue Chip designed and built multiple rooms in a metaverse art gallery featuring the agency’s history, past and current work and 40th anniversary commemorative merchandise. Employees were offered training on the creation of their avatars for the event, most for the first time.

Throughout the party, employees were also able to browse a gallery of Blue Chip’s award-winning work from the past 40 years. Then the avatars showed off their moves on a dance floor and competed for prizes (best avatars and scavenger hunts). The event culminated in a video toast led by Blue Chip CEO Stanton Kawer.

“This proved to be a fast, fun way to ensure that our teams understand and are able to bring a brand experience alive in the metaverse,” said Dan Cornell, VP Comms & Activation Planning at Blue Chip, who led the project. “Our digital experience, creative and communications teams are now immersed in platform design, 3-D modeling, video and photographic content, messaging, and overall user experience.”

In addition to client tours, Blue Chip is asking some prospects to meet initially in the space.