By Lauren Grace Morris for Frame Magazine

United Colors of Benetton are turning the immersive experience on its head – not only is their new all-hot-pink space visually stunning it also offers digital, multisensorial activations and is mirrored with a new virtual store in the Metaverse.

There’s one important point of differentiation at United Colors of Benetton’s Metaverse location: you can’t buy clothes there. Instead, visitors game to earn QR codes that offer benefits when shopping in-store.

‘The aim is to offer a dimensional link between the present and the future, the real and the virtual, through a brand experience that is increasingly immersive and, above all, in tune with the language of young people,’ Benetton Group CEO Massimo Renon.

A fantastic example of omnichannel presence fit for the future!

‘United Colors of Benetton is pushing its distributed omnichannel presence further by aligning its central Milan store with a Metaverse shop.

Key features

The Italian brand’s Corso Vittorio Emanuele store got its phygital revamp in time for February's Milan Fashion Week. To run for a month, digital, multisensorial activations strategically punctuate the newly all-hot-pink space. For those who can’t reach the store, a similarly designed consumer journey exists online. ‘We want to turn the immersive experience on its head,’ explains Benetton Group CEO Massimo Renon. ‘We will achieve this by creating the same emotional ecosystem in physical retail as will be available in the new virtual store in the Metaverse. . .’

There’s one important point of differentiation at United Colors of Benetton’s mirrored Metaverse location, however: you can’t buy clothes there. Instead, visitors game to earn QR codes that offer benefits when shopping in-store. ‘The aim is to offer a dimensional link between the present and the future, the real and the virtual, through a brand experience that is increasingly immersive and, above all, in tune with the language of young people,’ continues Renon.

Frame’s take

United Colors of Benetton’s endeavour is an ambitious embodiment of the current state of retail. It’s a response that the brand’s survival could depend on. Last autumn, the South China Morning Post ran an article with the headline: What happened to United Colors of Benetton? How Zara, H&M and Uniqlo stole its thunder. Challenging that narrative, the new retail concept reestablishes United Colors of Benetton as a relevant, forward-looking player in the industry. For fashion retailers, the long-term viability of Metaverse ventures remains to be seen, but taking the risk could be a winning ticket for those brands like Benetton looking to regain footing in the competitive market. ‘

Frame is a global platform for all professional members of and stakeholders in the interior-design industry.