MUMBAI: WPP and Fortnite developer Epic Games on Thursday announced a new partnership to deliver a new era of digital experiences for brands in the metaverse, according to a press statement.

The partnership will include a new training program to upskill thousands of WPP creatives and technologists on how to create custom brand experiences in Fortnite, and how to use Unreal Engine for real-time 3D creation and virtual production. "This new metaverse curriculum will consist of three separate tracks for executives, creative practitioners, and media experts and strategists," said the statement.  

"Early to invest in the tools and talent needed to succeed in the metaverse, WPP believes that brands and creators have a tremendous opportunity to meet the need for connection and unlock unlimited creative potential within interactive virtual spaces. For brands embarking on this journey, success in the metaverse is dependent not only on creative excellence but deep production capabilities, sound strategies for amplifying digital experiences and expert knowledge of a complex online safety and privacy landscape," it said.

As a part of this partnership, WPP teams will work closely with experts at Epic to learn how to build next-generation interactive experiences leveraging Unreal Engine, an advanced real-time 3D creation tool used across a range of industries including games, film, architecture, fashion, automotive, music and live events.

WPP teams will be able to take advantage of training and tools to create new experiences in Fortnite, where creators can build imaginative worlds for brands inside of one of the most globally popular online games.

Earlier, WPP has collaborated with SuperAwesome, an Epic Games company, to produce innovative work such as the immersive Island built for Adidas in Fortnite for its Ozweego sneaker line.

WPP will also work with SuperAwesome to deepen its understanding of online safety and privacy to help its campaigns engage younger audiences safely.

WPP executive VP strategic partnerships Nilufar Fowler said, “We think of WPP as the creative transformation company, one that embraces new environments like the metaverse and sees the potential for clients. Epic’s technology is world-class, and we are delighted to partner with it to raise the bar for social experiences in virtual worlds on behalf of our clients.”

Epic Games VP Metaverse development Matthew Henick said, “The collaboration between Epic, WPP, its clients and the creator community will accelerate the building of diverse social entertainment experiences that players across the world will love. This partnership with WPP bolsters our mission to educate more trailblazing brands and creators on how Epic’s tools across Fortnite, Unreal Engine, and 3D marketplaces like ArtStation and Sketchfab can be used to bring their metaverse visions to life.”

This partnership follows WPP’s recent announcement of The Metaverse Foundry, a new global metaverse offering through Hogarth, its specialist creative content production company.