Publicis, Lionsgate, Meta: the news on the metaverse

Publicis, the French advertising giant has unveiled Leon, an avatar whose task will be to guide users into the new world to which the agency will devote more and more space.

Leon, the new Publicis avatar dedicated to the metaverse

The metaverse, which according to recent research by Grayscale is expected to reach a turnover of $800 billion in 2024, seems to be increasingly entering the lives of households and companies. 

One of the most important advertising giants Publicis has announced that it already has a staff of 1,000 people dedicated to the development of this virtual ecosystem. In recent days, the new Chief Metaverse Officer, an avatar named Leon, was also presented.

The avatar was presented at Vivatech, a major technology and innovation fair held in Paris from 15 to 18 June. The new avatar will serve to follow users step by step in this new world of Web3 and the metaverse. 

At Leon’s presentation, Arthur Sadoun, Chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe, said:

“The metaverse isn’t a destination, it’s a real-time learning moment for all. It requires interrogation, education and experimentation. We are committed to being on that journey with our clients, to help them understand what it means for their business and to bring them the existing Web3 capabilities in the Groupe across data, media and technology. Leon embodies that as an avatar and will help our clients navigate this new channel and progress every step of the way”.

In other words, the new avatar will be a sort of virtual guide to the mysteries of the metaverse, which also fascinate people because of this halo of mystery that hovers over it. 

Agathe Bousquet, President of Publicis Groupe France, reiterated: 

“We want to support our clients, innovate with them and showcase the best achievements. In terms of the metaverse our clients have questions about creative, production, rights, commitments… We needed an expert to answer that. That will be Leon’s role”.

Lionsgate enters the metaverse

It seems almost natural that all that is mysterious and innovative should also be of interest to the world of cinema. Lionsgate, the famous American entertainment company with 129 Oscar nominations to its credit, and The Sandbox have partnered to create a film and TV destination in the metaverse, describing it as “part virtual real estate, part amusement park”.

Jenefer Brown, EVP of Lionsgate, said:

“We can’t wait to open our Lionsgate land in The Sandbox metaverse so fans around the globe can create, play, and explore our film IP in ways that go beyond what’s possible in the physical world”.

Meta launches avatar shop

Finally, Meta, which may have been the first to firmly believe in the metaverse, even going so far as to change its corporate name, has decided to launch its first virtual shop for avatars, with major brands such as Balenciaga Prada and Thom Browne, but soon, as Facebook founder Zuckerberg said, many more brands will be coming:

“Digital goods will be an important way to express yourself in the metaverse and a big driver of the creative economy”.