In 2020, when everyone stayed home and played games on their computers, phones and TVs to entertain themselves, Dina Fierro, vp of global digital strategy for Nars, was taking notes.
Fierro has been instrumental in bringing 27-year-old Nars to the forefront of the digital world, especially within gaming. Throughout 2021, the Shiseido-owned brand launched programs within Animal Crossing (see it on twitter), sponsored Twitch influencers’ livestream gaming sessions, and worked with South Korean game developer and social media app Zepeto to launch 3D avatars in-app and offer virtual makeup looks for sale. Fierro said Nars sold more than 450,000 virtual goods within its first two weeks on Zepeto, with sales surpassing the brand’s goal for the entire program within 10 days. Separately, Nars also launched an NFT in July and joined fashion game app Drest in October.
“[Zepeto] really was the opportunity for us to get a better handle on the appetite for Nars virtual goods,” said Fierro. “It sets the stage, in a lot of ways, for some of the programs that we’ll be building in 2022.”
One such activation, set for the first half of 2022, will focus on the metaverse and use Nars’ core franchises and hero products. As part of the experience, there will be gamified opportunities, virtual goods for sale and potentially an NFT element. Fierro said this program is an opportunity to launch the brand’s first-ever exclusive product for the virtual world.
She added that a unique aspect of Nars is that it is not a brand that actively crowdsources ideas from consumers or partners, so connecting with them in the metaverse and digital worlds is all the more significant.
“When we’re looking at gaming platforms or metaverse communities, we’re looking at them through a creative lens,” she said. “We need to ensure that, when we’re partnering with a game or platform, they can bring to life a visually distinctive and engaging experience.”
