Ryan Gosling promotes Netflix's entry into the Decentraland metaverse

By: Mark Jessy

August 12, 2022 12:18 AM

By releasing a recreation of the maze from Ryan Gosling's new Netflix movie "The Gray Man," which takes place in the Decentraland metaverse, Netflix has joined. To win digital wearables from the movie, one must navigate the maze as quickly as possible utilizing their understanding of the movie.

The media giant's statement reveals a bigger trend in which companies are entering the metaverse in search of fresh ways to interact with consumers and generate new sources of income. The success of this project will undoubtedly be closely watched by Netflix in the hopes that it will result in high levels of viewer interest in upcoming films.

Other well-known brands have also started to establish themselves in the metaverse. While HSBC selected The Sandbox, JPMorgan and Fidelity bought virtual real estate in Decentraland. Forever 21 and Dolce & Gabbana were among the fashion labels that participated at Decentraland's Metaverse Fashion Week 2022. Decentraland also had a Pride parade, with Mastercard serving as its primary sponsor.

Unfortunately, a significant disadvantage of early metaverse adoption is that because users enter and exit spaces sporadically, they frequently feel empty and non-interactive. Major corporations may feel pressured to participate in the metaverse frenzy, but doing so without giving a wider digital strategy enough thought results in buzz marketing that quickly wears off.

To maximize the interactive potential of the metaverse, businesses may consider advertising events or contests at predetermined times to draw people into various locations simultaneously.

With The Gray Man and its interactive maze littered with digital goodies along the way, Netflix may be onto something significant. Another significant brand is adopting the metaverse, underscoring its potential to gain public acceptance regardless of the marketing and financial success it may or may not bring.

Although, this isn't Netflix's first foray into blockchain technology. To coincide with the release of the fourth season of the Stranger Things television series, it released an NFT-based game in June.