Global – Magnum, the popular Belgian ice cream brand that introduced the first premium hand-held ice cream for adults in 1989, has launched an anti-metaverse campaign. The campaign includes a short film featuring a virtual character who is offered a Magnum ice cream in a digital world but cannot eat it, concluding with the message that ‘pleasure is not available in the metaverse’.
The ice cream brand has hit a cultural nerve, tapping into anti-digital sentiment as consumers attempt to balance online and offline activities as technology advances and our lives become increasingly phygital.
As part of the campaign and Magnum’s broader mission, the company partnered with mental wellbeing neuroscientist Dr Jack Lewis to develop a 20-point guide for enjoying pleasure both online and offline. The Magnum Pleasure Guide includes tips on taking breaks from screens, limiting social media use and avoiding binge-watching tv.
In our Anti-provocation Platforms analysis, we observe exactly what Magnum’s campaign is highlighting; that consumers are burnt out on negativity in digital spaces. For them to trust new technologies, they want businesses and brands to show them they can be used healthily.
Strategic opportunity
In our report on The Betterverse, we look at the metaverse’s potential as a healthier digital space, helping consumers connect and express themselves. When designing for it, businesses and brands must bring to the fore values of inspiration, joy and connection