Mumbai: Havas Group has bought a plot of virtual land in ‘The Sandbox’ video game where it plans to inaugurate its first virtual village. The new Havas village is scheduled to open to public access in ‘The Sandbox’ at the end of April.
The group, which is physically present in over 100 countries and 68 villages, will add its 69th virtual village. The group plans to use rich programming, exclusive content, connected animation and gamification to organise conferences, events, concerts, client presentations, product launches and more.
Last year, the group launched ‘Metaverse by Havas’ - a new consulting, creative and media offering, dedicated to brands that, in the metaverse, see opportunities to reinvent branding, storytelling, experience, audience targeting and revenue generation.
The new virtual village will also include a recruitment service, a first in the field of human resources. “Over the medium-term, this virtual and immersive dimension will significantly enrich the employee experience, including the onboarding process,” said the statement.
“Building a Havas village in the metaverse will help brands launch successfully into this new virtual adventure and join forces to build a positive image, a meaningful reputation, and a powerful connection with gamer-consumers,” the statement added.
“The metaverse provides a wealth of new media and new opportunities for the communications sector and for brands,” said Havas Group chairman and CEO Yannick Bolloré. “Whether the aim is to create original and meaningful experiences, reach out to new target audiences, or simply reinforce an existing bond, the possibilities are practically endless. Havas Group can count on a cutting-edge team of metaverse experts to lead this new venture and expertly guide brands into and around these virtual worlds. 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.”
“With Havas now a player in The Sandbox, we are banking on the metaverse because we are convinced of its potential in terms of accessing creative and innovative profiles, with highly sought-after skills ranging from tech to data,” said Havas Group global chief HR officer Céline Merle-Beral. “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.”
