Discover PUMA's Revolutionary Web3 Experience: Black Station - Exclusive NFTs and Limited-Edition Sneakers from FUTROGRADE Show at New York Fashion Week (NYFW).
The challenge
As part of PUMA's ongoing commitment to innovation, they entrusted creative solutions agency FTR (a PureWeb partner) with the task of conceptualizing and developing a virtual experience to complement their live NYFW fashion show. PUMA's primary objective was to transcend the limitations of a 2D experience and make their first foray into the Metaverse, while optimizing engagement and driving sales.
The solution
FTR, known for their unique and innovative approach, proposed a fully immersive, real-time 3D experience that would provide users with a hyper-realistic virtual environment to explore. The limitless possibilities of 3D design would allow FTR's architects to unleash their creativity and offer an exciting opportunity for PUMA's audience to engage with the brand in an entirely new way.
Through the use of Unreal Engine 5, FTR created the virtual Black Station experience, which launched simultaneously with PUMA’s live fashion show.
The interactive 3D Black Station experience unveiled two exclusive sneaker portals, showcasing the never-before-seen Nitro NFRNO and Nitro Fastroid sneakers, both linked to PUMA's latest NFT Nitropass mint. Nitropass minters received two NFTs, one associated with the physical product and the other unlocking a personalized experience connected to their selected shoe. After the FUTROGRADE show, minters could obtain their physical sneakers by burning their product-claimed NFT. This groundbreaking move by PUMA marked the brand's entry into uncharted territory in the Web3 realm, as it connected digital design to physical products, providing customers with a unique and seamless experience.
The third portal of Black Station served as the entry to the digital NYFW metaverse fashion show. Visitors were immersed in an interactive space and journeyed through a digital adaptation of the show, enabling them to interact with the collection's pieces.
Of course, as engagement and sales were the primary goals, it was crucial to make the entire Black Station experience accessible to as broad an audience as possible . PureWeb was brought on as the streaming partner to ensure a scalable experience accessible to users worldwide, regardless of their device.
"For our Puma Black Station experience, we needed to set up a complex global deployment of servers spanning Asia, Europe, and North America, and PureWeb was our trusted partner throughout. Their unwavering commitment to our project, evident from the detailed technical meetings and expert guidance on web template customization, was nothing short of exceptional. What truly sets PureWeb apart is the reliability and scale of their platform as well as their remarkable customer service - their knowledgeable and supportive team made the entire process as streamlined as possible. PureWeb not only delivered on their promises but exceeded our expectations." - David Stamatis, Executive Creative Director and Partner at FTR
The impact
Within the first four days of its launch, Black Station attracted over 50,000 visitors, with an average of four minutes spent within the experience and more than 100,000 minutes streamed. These incredible numbers led to a revenue of $1.2M USD to date.
In light of these impressive results, PUMA plans to expand Black Station by unveiling new iterations. Serving as PUMA's Web3 hub, the virtual experience will undergo repurposing and redesigning by FTR, all without having to start from scratch.
Stamatis explains, "We're dedicated to bringing great creative ideas to life through immersive experience, technology, and community. This project, and our partner in PUMA, gave us agency and trust to push into the unknown and test how these creative components can be put together to innovate in the storytelling around product, fashion, and brand. Creating a truly phygital experience has opened our eyes to the immense opportunity for brands in the future."