Burberry’s TB monogram summer collection is going virtual. The luxury label created a new video game that lets characters dress up in its latest collection. Called “B Surf”, Burberry’s new video game is a surfer-themed adventure where players can dress their characters in the brand’s newest collection and challenge friends to competitions. Players have the opportunity to win real-life prizes including a limited-edition monogrammed surfboard and Burberry-branded bucket hats. Burberry is offering in-game prizes as well, such as special face filters and AR-themed characters.
“B Surf” is Burberry’s third video game, but first multiplayer game. The brand released its first video game in late 2019, called “B Bounce”, which was available in 40 countries. At the beginning of the year, the luxury label released its second video game, “Ratberry”, which served as an extension to “B Bounce”. Both games were played by millions of consumers around the world, so it makes sense that Burberry would extend the successful marketing effort to another gaming initiative. By making “B Surf” multiplayer, Burberry increases the chance for players to share the game with their friends, potentially increasing engagement and audience participation for the brand. The newest game is available on Burberry’s website, Chinese messaging app WeChat, and luxury shopping site Farfetch.
Burberry’s continuation into the video game industry follows a larger trend amongst luxury fashion labels to embrace alternative, digital marketing initiatives. For example, fashion brand Gucci is active on Snapchat, while Valentino has promoted its fashion on Nintendo’s Animal Crossing. As gaming increases worldwide—in addition to a surge during the Coronavirus pandemic—Burberry could raise its brand exposure and grow a loyal consumer base of gamers. By making “B Surf” compatible with mobile devices, Burberry could further boost its image, as mobile devices are not only the most popular gaming platform in the world, but increasingly used as tools to assist in luxury product research and discovery, according to a Gartner report. As “B Surf” is not as competitive a game as others, Burberry could draw in both casual gamers and luxury lovers looking for a lighthearted and stylish gaming experience.
Burberry is once again embracing digital media to promote its popular TB monogram collection. With millions of consumers remaining inside this summer, Burberry’s attention-grabbing video game could help gamers play with friends from far away, while staying up-to-date on Burberry’s latest collection.
Credit: Gartner Daily Insights – Click here to view the article
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