Taking an Iconic set of Kicks to a Web3 World

Nike has launched “Airphoria” in Fortnite - a unique, first-of-its-kind gaming experience on Web3. Partnering with Epic Games on a multiyear deal, Airphoria is an effort to combine Nike’s iconic Air Max with the possibilities of the immersive Web3 world on Fortnite.

The whole experience is powered by Epic Games’ pioneering Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN), where players and their friends can explore an Air Max–themed universe and engage with Air Max sneakers and go on a sneaker hunt.

Airphoria has five iconic Air Max “Grails” (the Air Max 1 OG, Air Max 97, Air Max TW, Air Max Scorpion and Air Max Pulse) suspended above the Airphoria city and which represent pivotal moments in the history of Air Max. Fortnite players can buy Outfits that are featured on the two main Airphoria characters, Airie and Maxxed Out Max, in the Fortnite Item Shop. These apparels are a part of the Airphoria Pack, which also includes the Pure Sole Boombox and Maxx Stacks Back Blings. Also available is a limited Airphoria-inspired collection on nike.com in North America.

Airphoria lets players who are at least 13 years old in the US to link the Nike and Epic Games accounts and those who do, will be eligible to claim an Achievement on .SWOOSH by August 8, 2023.

The partnership with Nike comes as Epic Games charts its metaverse expansion. In April 2022, the company raised $2 billion from Sony Group Corporation and Kirkbi, the investment arm of The Lego Group. It plans to devote the $2 billion toward building the metaverse.

Nike is no stranger to the metaverse or Web3. And this partnership with Epic Games builds on its earlier attempts to blend the virtual with its physical products.

Here is one more endeavor by a large brand to offer engaging experiences through a Web3 interface – where it uses this to bridge the gap between its physical and virtual offerings.

This is a great way to offer immersive experiences to customers to help deepen their engagement with the brand. Its new, very creative and very appealing effort is very attractive to customers, especially Gen Z and the Millennials. It appeals to anyone that is a fan of Nike and its iconic footwear.

The appeal of the physical product is elevated and amplified in the Web3 space where each pair of iconic kicks will actually make one soar! The highly immersive and creative experience on the Web3 space can be so appealing that it is bound to increase sales and conversions. It is bound to inspire a love for sports and games!

Shoes are always the rage with youngsters and sportspeople. And Nike Air is iconic. Just about everyone aspires to own a pair. And bringing this iconic range to the Web3 space so players can take it for a spin and see for themselves that it is everything that they thought it was and a whole lot more, is a very sharp move, strategically speaking. The players will simply want to own a pair – no matter the cost!

It is a bold, fun way to connect with the younger demographic that already feels at home in an alternate space thanks to their gaming. And in their universe, the digital and physical have already merged, which makes this a great way to engage them and hold their attention. So they will happily jump from the virtual to the real and back again without even consciously thinking about it. For them there are no seams in between the worlds. To them it is one world.