WPP launches The Metaverse Foundry

WPP is launching a new global metaverse offering through Hogarth, its specialist creative content production company.  The Metaverse Foundry, focused on design and production for brand experiences in the metaverse will be available to all of WPP's clients and agencies worldwide. 

Capabilities will include virtual art, virtual stages, development of VR/AR applications, technology, and R&D, delivered by global team of over 700 creatives, producers, visual artists, developers and technologists that can be tapped from Hogarth and across the WPP network. The Foundry will also involve other specialist WPP agencies, such as Subvrsive for virtual events and immersive experiences and Ars Thanea for its design, animation and visual effects studio.

The aim is to be an end-to-end destination for brand experience in the metaverse from design to execution. WPP notes its agencies are already delivering metaverse projects for various clients including Wendy’s, Under Armour, Duracell, Pfizer, Pizza Hut and Bombay Sapphire.

“Our clients are already seizing the opportunities to connect with their customers presented by the metaverse, and seeking partners who can bring experiences to life in the most creative and compelling ways," said Mark Read, CEO of WPP in a release. "The Metaverse Foundry has unrivalled scale and expertise in building these experiences, and clearly differentiates Hogarth and WPP from our peers in this critical growth area for our industry.”

Brand opportunities in the metaverse involve new experiences and commerce involving augmented reality, gaming, NFTs and the blockchain, making it a market estimated to grow at mid double-digits for the foreseeable future, according to WPP.  

“This is a very exciting time to be in the production and content creation business. We are living through extraordinary change, and our clients have whole new worlds to navigate and radically new ways to engage with their customers," said Hogarth global CEO Richard Glasson. "At Hogarth we are perfectly positioned to launch our clients into these new channels and create incredible experiences for consumers globally.”