Brands from across all industries have been creating their own islands and virtual experiences within the world of Animal Crossing: New Horizons and one of the newest places for players to visit is Biden Island, created by the Joe Biden team. Although in-person travels are being impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, this virtual destination offers a place for players to digitally show their support with branded virtual merch like sunglasses, yard signs, hoodies and much more. Within the virtual shop, Animal Crossing players can scan QR codes to collect the branded merch.
Today, there will be a livestreamed tour of Biden Island hosted by the Kinda Funny Games Twitch channel and the event promises to appeal to the many Gen Z players of Animal Crossing who are eligible to vote for the first time in their lives.
Image Credit: Biden for President
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Virtual Brand Experiences
- The trend towards creating brand experiences in virtual worlds like Animal Crossing offers a disruptive innovation opportunity for companies to engage with younger demographics in a way that aligns with their interests.
- Virtual Political Engagement
- Biden Island's use of Animal Crossing as a virtual hub for political engagement offers a disruptive innovation opportunity for political campaigns to connect with younger voters in a way that is both authentic and non-invasive.
- Virtual Merchandising
- The creation of branded virtual merch in Animal Crossing highlights a potential disruptive innovation opportunity for e-commerce and gaming industries to collaborate in the creation of new digital products that appeal to a wide range of consumers.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Political Campaigns
- The Animal Crossing trend presents a unique opportunity for political campaigns to establish an authentic and engaged presence on digital platforms that allows them to reach younger voters in new ways.
- Gaming
- The use of Animal Crossing as a platform for virtual brand experiences offers a disruptive innovation opportunity for gaming companies to establish collaborations with brands looking to reach new audiences and create unique virtual experiences.
- E-commerce
- The rise of virtual merchandising in Animal Crossing offers a potential disruptive innovation opportunity for e-commerce companies to create new product lines that blend gaming with traditional retail and online shopping experiences.
