Need to Know
13 : 10 : 22

Brazil – Pro-nuclear energy virtual influencer Isodope enlisted creative agency &Walsh to come up with an other-worldly visual identity, designed in tandem with Dall-E. Isodope is the online persona of influencer, model and digital fashion designer Isabelle Boemeke, which she uses to amplify her voice and to advocate for the role of nuclear energy in mitigating the climate crisis.

Tasked with designing Isodope’s branding, New York-based agency &Walsh employed AI image-generating programme Dall-E to generate unique imagery, iconography and typography. The use of AI is a way for the Isodope team to be able to dynamically change the brand elements as the conversation about nuclear energy evolves.

Isodope’s universe features a classroom from the future, meant to inspire a sense of urgency and inspiration. ‘Climate communications often get washed out. The other-worldly persona encourages people to pay attention,’ explains &Walsh.

This future-facing project is at the forefront of innovation, putting AI-vertisements to use for the purpose of climate activism through the voice of a virtual influencer.

UK – Argos is launching cross-platform advertisements, with billboards showing simultaneously in the metaverse and on roadside screens in the real world. The launch is a partnership with digital media group OceanOutdoor and metaverse specialist LandVault. British catalogue retailer Argos, known for its physical stores, wants to move away from traditional channels and experiment with more cutting-edge technology.

OceanOutdoor will offer support in creating the infrastructure for the cross-platform billboards and LandVault will synchronise the content between physical and virtual billboards. Physical billboards are being placed on roadside screens, including a Holland Park roundabout in London, with a digital copy of the billboard in the metaverse.

The campaign will be one of the first of its kind, immersing audiences in a cross-platform experience. ’This is a truly unique moment for the metaverse since it provides the first-ever ability for audiences to connect with brands and physical items in an immersive, cross-reality way,’ says Artur Sychov, founder of Somnium Space.

Online game Roblox also experimented with in-game advertising, showing how brands are diversifying their channels and using the metaverse to gain maximum exposure.

US – American singles are going on fewer dates amid soaring prices of food, alcohol and other daily essentials, according to a recent survey of 1,578 consumers in the US by online lending marketplace LendingTree in partnership with American software company Qualtrics.

‘The extra cost of each of these things individually may not be earth-shattering, but added together, they can be a very big deal,’ explains Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree.

But many young people are continuing their quest for romance, despite recession and rising prices, the research shows, with 22% of Millennials and 19% of Gen Z reporting that they have gone into debt for love.

BLK, a dating and lifestyle for Black singles, is one company showing the way in offering extra support for its customers with its recent campaign to raise financial literacy to help beat inflation.