These May 2020 media trends range from in-game music concerts to interactive true crime podcasts.
Earlier this month, Fortnite Astronomical hosted an interactive concert experience for players featuring hip hop star Travis Scott who premiered a knew song to those tuned in. With over 12 million players participating, this marketing move speaks to Gen-Z's appreciation for engaging virtual experiences and also targets a broader audience seeking new modes of entertainment during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing efforts.
Another notable example from the gaming world includes Animal Crossing: New Horizons' recent in-game fashion pop-up by designer Sandy Liang. The pop-up will be hosted through a virtual clothing event spotlighting Liang’s Spring/Summer 2020 and Fall/Winter 2020 collections, with clothes satisfying players' desire for customization. Players will also receive a discount code during the virtual event that can be applied to real clothing purchases.
Top 40 Media Trends in May
From In-Game Music Concerts to Interactive True Crime Podcasts:
Jana Pijak — Jun 3, 2020 — Pop Culture
40
Quarantine Fashion Photoshoots
Bella Hadid's Vogue Italia Shoot Was Captured Via FaceTime
39
VR-Based Co-Watching Platforms
Bigscreen TV & Bigscreen Cinema Brings People Together in VR
38
Digital Hangout Platforms
Kosmi's Platform is an All-in-One Digital Socializing Experience
37
Eye-Tracking Film Experiences
The Angry River is a Revolutionary Take on Interactive Storytelling
36
Face-to-Face Social Media Networks
The HouseParty App Boasts Calls, Texts, Games, & Screen-Sharing
35
Virtual Music Festivals
Music Lives is a Three-Day Virtual Event on Oculus Venues
34
Virtual Cinema Clubs
Häagen-Dazs & Secret Cinema Created Secret Sofa for At-Home Entertainment
33
Video Game Fashion Pop-Ups
Sandy Liang's Animal Crossing Pop-up Lets Guests Download Looks
32
Sitcom-Themed Pool Floats
The Friends Door Pool Float is Inspired by Monica's Door from 'Friends'
31
Sci-Fi Popsicle Molds
The Star Wars Pop Mold Lets You Create Edible Star Wars Characters
30
Sci-Fi Character Jewelry Pendants
The Dan Life Launches a Baby Yoda Pendant Before Star Wars Day
29
Interactive Mobile Streaming Apps
Ficto Produces Interactive Shows Specifically for Mobile Phones
28
Kid-Friendly Quarantine Content
Sesame Street's Caring for Each Other Initiative Helps Kids Learn
27
Content Co-Watching Features
The Instagram Co-Watching Feature Allows Friends to Browse Together
26
Social Co-Viewing Platforms
Gaze Helps to Create YouTube-Specific Long-Distance Movie Nights
25
Communal Media-Streaming Services
Metastream Allows Users to Watch or Listen to Content Together
24
All-White Magazine Covers
The Vogue Italia April Issue Cover Represents Rebirth
23
Real-Time Video-Sharing Apps
Kast Uses Screen Capture, Voice, Text, and Video Chat Technology
22
Co-Watching Party Plug-Ins
Scener Unites Streaming Service Users with Virtual Movie Nights
21
AI Podcast Recommendations
Spotcast Shares Personalized Suggestions Based on Listening Habits
20
Interactive True Crime Podcasts
Solve Uses Snapchat and Instagram to Supercharge Its Stories
19
Streaming Content Expansions
Tubi Announced Its Movies and Shows are Now on Rogers Ignite TV
18
Stay-Home Car Commercials
The Jeep Same Day Ad References Groundhog Day
17
Broadway-Specific Streaming Services
Broadway on Demand is a New Streaming Service
16
In-Game Music Performances
Fortnite Astronomical Gathered Players Virtually to See Travis Scott
15
Evidence-Based Interactive Viewing Experiences
CBC All Access' Interrogation is a Non-Linear Show
14
Virtual Co-Viewing Rooms
Watch2Gether Helps People Chat, Shop & Enjoy Audio & Video Content
13
Intentionally Uninteresting Podcasts
Ts&Zzz is a Podcast for Sleep That Reads Terms and Conditions
12
Kid-Friendly Social Distancing Tips
Cartoon Network Launched the CNCheckIn Initiative for COVID-19
11
Social Distancing Music Videos
Phenom by Thao & the Get Down Stay Down Was Made with Zoom
10
Flexible Co-Viewing Features
The Philo Co-Viewing Feature Will Allow Users to Watch Video Together
9
Interactive Content Streaming Protocols
Instant Interactive Develops GREG to Enhance Entertainment
8
Group Streaming Apps
TwoSeven Helps Groups Virtually Enjoy Streaming Subscription Service Content
7
VR Theater Platforms
Broadway VR Offers Fully Immersive Theatrical Experiences
6
Free Educational Documentary Streaming
Netflix Made Several Documentaries Free on YouTube
5
Interactive Sci-Fi Thriller Movies
Wales Interactive Released the Complex for PS4 on March 31st
4
Free Premium Streaming Promotions
HBO is Offering 500 Hours of Shows & Movies for Free Streaming
3
Chose-Your-Own-Adventure Heist Movies
YouTube's 'A Heist with Markiplier' Has 31 Possible Endings
2
Awareness-Raising Interactive Short Film
Royston Tan Directed an Educational Film About Drug Use
1
Mobile-First Streaming Services
Quibi is Exclusively Mobile & Shares Quality Snackable Content
Related Ideas
Monthly Free Game Bundles
Sony Confirmed its Three Free Titles on PlayStation for June
AR Runway Experiences
Vogue & Snap Created Custom Augmented Reality Experiences for Vogue World
Phone-Free Festivals
This Never Happened is a Music Event Series and Festival Concept
Interactive Arcade Storefronts
JD & Snap London Created an AR Storefront for Christmas
Collaborative Gamer-Focused Apparel
Blvck Paris Works With Fortnite on a Lifestyle Collection
Wearable Twin NFTs
Luxlock Introduced Unlockable Phygital NFTs During Fashion Week
Emerging Technology Publications
New Society Has Launched Its Inaugural Book About Technology
Dynamic Metaverse Billboards
Roblox is Allowing Brands to Put 3D Promos in Virtual Worlds & Games
GenAI Virtual Shoppers
Cindy by Imaginuity Boots Online and In-Store Foot Traffic
NFT Fashion Runways
Vivienne Tam AW23 Fused Physical & Digital Elements
Gen Alpha Marketing Campaigns
Claire's is Targeting TikTok Growth for its Latest Ads Spending
Year-End Live Music Shows
Spotify Wrapped Live 2023 Shares Performances from Top Global Artists
Gamer-Centric Beauty Campaigns
Dove Launched Real Virtual Beauty to Dismantle Gaming Stereotypes
Digital Streetwear Collaborations
The Fabricant x Highsnobiety Dropped During Paris Fashion Week
Gen Z Crafting Events
Red Heart Hosted an Exclusive "Crafternoon" in NYC
Connected Gamer Campaigns
Heineken's Just Another Night Out Shatters Anti-Social Stereotypes
Soil Awareness Campaigns
Heinz Launched SOS Tomatoes Island on Fortnite
Virtual Gas-Themed Worlds
Shell Teams Up with Fortnite Creative to Launch a New Gas-Themed Game
Text Prompt AI-Generated Playlists
Spotify is Working on New Generated Personalized Soundtracks
Playlist-Enhanced Outfit Recommendations
Stitch Fix and Spotify Collaborate on a Unique Experience
NFT Golf Games
Marketplaces Metaverse Debuts New Blockchain-Based 'Golf Mode'
Interactive Beauty Metaverses
Fenty Beauty's First Campaign on Roblox Has Mazes & Scavenger Hunts
Musician Metaverse Collaborations
Lady Gaga Announced Herself as the Next Fortnite Festival Artist
Monetizable Mobile Gaming Apps
'Playbite' Enables Players to Win Gift Cards and Prizes
Metaverse Fragrance Experiences
Fortnite & Armani Beauty Fragrance are Promoting Scents for Men
Fashionable Phygital Coats
Private Policy AW23 Took to the Metaverse
Sci-Fi Series Metaverse Activations
H&M is Launching an Experience Within H&M Loooptopia on Roblox
Gen Z-Centered Health Apps
RTRO Lauches with ChatGPT with a Focus on Mental Health
Gen Z-Focused Coachella Campaigns
Pinterest Partners With Coachella to Connect With Gen Z
Phygital Fashion Campaign
Pacsun's PacVerse Campaign Shows a Real Life Cast Entering the Metaverse
Audio-Focused Party Games
Wilder and Doing Things Team Up to Launch The Audio Game
Gamer-Targeted Beauty Collabs
Revolution Beauty x Fortnite Features Favorite Game Characters
Sneaker Digital Crossover Realms
Nike and Fortnite Join Forces on the Airphoria Digital Reality
Phygital Fashion Brands
PUNK Challenges Conventions with Digital Assets & Physical Tracksuits
Metaverse Beauty Looks
L’Oréal Revealed Its First Virtual Beauty Styles for Web3
Travel-Focused Marketing Guides
TikTok Debuts a Playbook for Travel Marketers to Foster Engagement
Virtual Bag Metaverses
Charles & Keith Taps Virtual K-pop Artist Apoki for its Virtual Campaign
Trendy Metaverse Sportswear
adidas Enters the Virtual World Through a Roblox Collaboration
Idol Singer Breakfast Promotions
Mos Burger Offers Dining Experience with Idols via AR
Metaverse Beauty Events
Metaverse Beauty Week is the First Annual Beauty Festival in the Metaverse
Metaverse-Enabled Cruise Ships
Celebrity Cruises Launches the First Digital Cruise Ship Experience
Phygital Fashion Retail Experiences
Macy's mstylelab Digital Shopping Platform is Immersive
Horror-Themed Virtual Islands
Fortnite's Island Shares a Peek at Themes from the 'Talk to Me' Film
Relaunched NSFW Digital Publications
Playboy Magazine is Launching in a New Digital Space
Immersive VR Musical Experiences
BLACKPINK is Hosting a VR Concert in Meta's Horizon Worlds App
Gamified Tennis Metaverses
Race to Wimbledon is a Fast-Paced Game on Fortnite
Live Commerce Holiday Windows
TalkShopLive's WindowShopping Merges Physical & Digital Experiences
Arcade-Style Metaverse Games
JD Sports Steps into the Metaverse with 'King of the Game'
Interactive Phygital Hoodies
Beyond's Phygital Fashion Capsule Can Be Tried on with AR
Model-Created Fashion Metaverses
Karlie Kloss' Fashion Klossette is a Virtual Fashion Destination
Survival Crafting Metaverses
LEGO Fortnite Fosters Creativity and Collaborative Play
Metaverse Apparel Collections
Forever 21 Unveils a Metaverse-Based Fashion Collection on Roblox
Musician-Inspired Game Characters
Singer Billie Eilish Arrives as the Newest Fortnite Hero
Experiential Shopping Platforms
sune Shares a Fun and Engaging Way for Gen Z to Shop
Live Broadcast NFTs
eShot Labs Launches Unique Tool That Turns Real-Time Video into NFTs
Competitive Live Games
April-8 Live Game Let's Players Challenge Friends Across The Globe
Luxury Avatar Outfits
Valentino Created Digital Fashion Looks for Meta Avatars
Nugget-Inspired Video Games
McDonalds and The Sandbox Create the McNuggets Land Game
Gamified Youth-Focused News Apps
RocaNews Uses Challenges and Quests to Encourage Staying Informed
Toy Collectible Conventions
DesignerCon's New Convention is Set to Open on November 18
Immersive Memory Loss Simulators
Lost in the World Brings Alzheimer's Awareness to Gen Z Gamers
Movie Tie-In Games
Bron Digital Created a Game Inside Fortnite for its Upcoming Movie
Makeup-Focused Metaverse Worlds
NYX Professional Makeup Unveils a Metaverse Experience in Roblox
Dynamic Mobile Fashion Games
Tommy Hilfiger Unveils a New Mobile Fashion Game Called FashionVerse
Battle-Map Mobile Game Launches
Call of Duty Announces at the Upcoming Warzone Mobile Game
Live-Streamed Music Venues
PIXELYNX Partners with Vita Motus on a New Metaverse Music Game
Hip-Hop-Focused Virtual Worlds
Roblox's Spotify Island Unveils the 'Planet Hip-Hop' World
Virtual Car Meetups
7-Eleven is Inviting Fans to Meet Virtually in Fortnite
Gen Z Sports Apps
Stadium Live is Aiming to Entice Gen Z Consumers with Immersive Experiences
Musical Makeup Metaverses
Maybelline's Makeup Your Mix Campaign Immerses Roblox Users
Metaverse Circus Games
Cirque Du Soleil Launches a Build-Your-Own Circus Game on Roblox
AI-Curated Art Exhibits
The Woods Art Institute Launches 'The Art of Trending' Exhibit
TikTok-Inspired Music Features
Spotify Showcased a Redesigned Homepage for its Mobile App
Beauty-Focused Shopping Apps
The 'Trendio' Live Shopping App Offers Access to Beauty Content
Audio People Discovery Apps
The 'November' App Offers Users Five Audio Interviews Each Day
Game-Inspired Fashion Logos
Fortnite and Ralph Lauren Join Forces on a New Logo Design Update
Immersive In-Game Concerts
Fortnite’s Next Concert Features Grammy-Nominated Artist The Kid Laroi
Magical Game Collaborations
Disney is Investing in Epic Games and Launching Fortnite Content
Social Media Music Festivals
TikTok 'In the Mix' is a First-of-Its-Kind Music Festival
Artist-Inspired Game Events
Lady Gaga Will Make Her Digital Debut in the Fortnite Festival
Space-Centric Metaverse Games
Fortnite Debuts the Lunar Horizons Game with Hassell and ESA
Level-Building Game Modes
Epic Games Has Launched a New Creative Mode in Fall Guys
Branded Gaming Events
Ubisoft Announced 'Ubisoft Forward' for June 12th in Los Angeles
In-Arena Content Spaces
TikTok and MLSE Introduced the Creator Zone and a Live Content Series
Calming Video Game Soundscapes
Xbox and Calm are Teaming Up for Two New Game-Themed Soundscapes
Accessible Mixed-Reality Media
Chapter 2 Welcomes New Society to Revolutionize the Media Frontier
Video Game-Inspired Fashion Videos
The New YEEZY GAP Tokyo Walk-Through is Inspired by GTA
Socialite-Inspired Virtual Worlds
Paris Hilton Joins Roblox for the 'Slivingland' Metaverse
Virtual Game Tourism Campaigns
Cape Town Launches a Virtual Game for a New Tourism Campaign
Game-Inspired Sustainable Streetwear
Broken Planet Unveils it new Space Trails Collection
Fighting Game Crossover Events
Battle Royale Game PUBG Announces a Street Fighter 6 Collaboration
Toronto Fashion Music Festivals
MODECANADAROCKS Spring Equinox Takes Place on March 23
Producer Gaming Studios
Bloodpop Created 'Genpop Interactive' to Mix Gaming with Pop Culture
Gen Z Advertising Tools
YouTube Launches a New Music Tool to Connect Advertisers with Gen Z
Luxury Video Game Collaborations
Ralph Lauren and Epic Games Have Announced a Fortnite Partnership
Gen Z-Focused Hotel Campaigns
Hyatt Recruits College Athlete Jalin Hyatt to Attract Gen Z
Nostalgic Music Discovery Apps
The 'Rewind' App Helps Gen Z Delve Into the Music Of Past Decades
Korean Metaverse Platforms
Tencent Cloud Partners with Nexon to Launch a Metaverse Platform
Synthwave Music Stream Expansions
Lofi Girl Returns with a New Friend Seen as Lofi Boy
Family-Friendly Survival Games
Lego Debuts a New Fortnite Survival Crafting Game
Innovation-Focused Digital Metaverses
Forbes Launches a Digital Presence In The Sandbox Metaverse
In-Game Music Players
UMG and Republic Records Launch the Boombox Music Player on Roblox
Promotional Influencer Videos
Activision Recruits Multiple Creators to Appeal to Gen Z Consumers
Teen Influencer-Backed Games
'JoJo Siwa: Worldwide Party' Has Launched on Major Gaming Platforms
Trendy In-Game Music Hubs
Roblox Launches the New Roblox Music Hub for Music Discovery
B2B Music Streaming Services
Tuned Global and Sona Launch a New Music Streaming Platform
Metaverse-Focused Esports Worlds
Faze Clan Enters the Metaverse With the Help of The Sandbox
Copyright-Free Streamer Music
Talon Esports Will Create a New Music Album with United Esports
Turkey-Based Game Studios
Frantic Games Raised $2.4 Million to Develop Engaging Mobile Games
Anime Game Collaborations
Epic Games Added 'Attack on Titan' Content to Fortnite: Battle Royale
Branded Metaverse Neighborhoods
iHEARTMEDIA Launches Its FIrst Metaverse Space, 'iHEARTLAND'
Clip-Sharing Game Platforms
Epic Games Launches Postparty for Sharing Fortnite Gameplay Clips
Rapper-Themed VR Concerts
Meta Announces The Notorious B.I.G. VR Concert Experience in December
AR-Based Video Games
Graffity, Qualcomm, and Nreal Launch Two New Augmented Reality Games
Next-Gen Crime Games
Rockstar Games is Set to Launch 'Grand Theft Auto VI' in 2025
Virtual Self-Expression Summits
göt2b's Virtual Metaverse Experience Uplifts Millennials & Gen Z
Gen Z Basketball Campaigns
Rivalry Unites with Basketball Forever for a Gen Z-Focused NBA Campaign
Short-Form Gaming Video Apps
'FreshCut' is TikTok for Video Games and Gaming News
Media-Based Music Expansions
DistroKid Users Now Have Access to TikTok Music for Promotion
Music-Focused Social Media
Musicboard is a Place for Music Lovers to Unite
Immersive Rhythmic Concert Games
Epic Games Added Guitar Controller Support to 'Fortnite Festival'
Mobile Esports Events
Tribe Gaming Partners with Samsung for a Mobile Gaming Event in Las Vegas
Media Release Monitoring Apps
The 'Upcoming' App Helps Users Track Favorite Media and Explore
Streamer-Backed Trivia Games
Netlfix Launches a New Interactive Game Called 'Triviaverse'
Music Content Campaign Tools
Spotify Presents the Showcase Tool for Artists to Promote
Branded Global Music Programs
Sprite Limelight Season Two Spotlights the Untold Stories of Artists
Categorized Podcast Genres
Apple's Podcasts App Launches a New Organized Update Feature
Anime Service-Backed Games
Crunchyroll is Adding Mobile Games to its Subscription-Based Offerings
Esports Audio Hardware Partnerships
Gen. G Announced Bose as its Official Audio Partner
Avatar-Centric Gaming Activities
Interactive New Meta Quests are Added to the Horizon Worlds
Holiday-Themed Virtual Concerts
Roblox Gets a Mariah Carey-Backed ‘Winter Wonderland’ Experience
Content-Focused Map Features
TuneIn Launches an Immersive Map Feature for Global Content Searches
Social App-Sourced Tickets
TikTok Launches its New Live Event with Ticket Sales by Tickets.com
Campaign-Led Esports Studios
Guild Launches New Creative Services Division Called ‘Guild Studios’
International RPG Tournaments
Genshin Impact Announces Its First International Tournament for 2023
Engaging Rap Trivia Games
Rap Trivia is a Fun Hip Hop Trivia Game
Dairy Farm-Focused Games
GameSquare Taps Dairy MAX to Debut a Fortnite Farm Tycoon Campaign
Experiential Streamed Quick Trivia
Netflix to Launch its New Collaborative Triviaverse Experience
App-Assistive Concert Discoveries
Apple Added Concert Discovery Features to Its Music and Maps
Video Game-Themed Pixel Paintings
Minecraft Honors Anniversary with a Pixel Art Collection