By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
First it was Heineken’s digital beer, and now it’s Wendy’s virtual cheeseburgers.
The fast food giant Wendy’s teamed up with Meta for the grand opening of the Wendyverse in Horizon Worlds April 2.
The idea is not so much to sell virtual burgers, but in the company’s words, to give fans “… all-new 3D opportunities to virtually interact with each other and the brand—as only Wendy’s can.”
“For years we’ve been meeting our fans in unexpected ways and places with our unique approach to social media, gaming and engagement,” said Carl Loredo, chief marketing officer for The Wendy’s Company. “We’re excited to take this to the next level by launching the Wendyverse in Meta’s Horizon Worlds and bringing a totally new dimension of access to our fans. Truly a first of its kind, the Wendyverse bridges the best of today with tomorrow to show up for our fans across every world—with a Frosty and fries in hand.”
Wendy’s says The Wendyverse is more than a virtual restaurant. It’s a virtual Wendy’s world that starts with a virtual Wendy’s restaurant. In the first phase of the Wendyverse, fans with a Meta Quest 2 can venture into a whole new delicious world built by community creators.
In this initial phase the Wendyverse will include:
- Wendyverse Town Square Central: A Wendy’s restaurant fans know and love—replicated in the virtual world. Players can go behind the counter, meet up with friends and get ready for a mouth-watering adventure. Town square will apparently offer virtual hot & crispy fries, and while they may not taste like the real deal, at least they’re zero calories and low on sodium.
- Wendyverse Partnership Plaza: In a licensing tie-up with the annual March Madness event, players can head over to The Buck BiscuitDome where they can storm the court, shoot hoops with a virtual Baconator and cut the net following a winning shot. This is also where the metaverse meets the, uh, universe(?), as fans can buy a sausage or bacon, egg & cheese biscuit for just a dollar until May 1.
Wendy’s foray into the metaverse is being launched through Horizon Worlds, which is Meta’s first prototype of its new metaverse technology. The Wendy’s deal is among the first true licensing deals signed for a Horizon Worlds deployment, although several companies have developed games and apps within Worlds.
“The full vision of metaverse may be years away, but brands should start experimenting on what their metaverse presence will be now,” said Vishal Shah, Meta’s Vice President of Metaverse. “There are experiences like Horizon Worlds which can give people a feeling of what it means to be together in an experience—it’s a great place to start.”
Launched in 2021, Horizon Worlds is a free social experience that allows people to explore, play and connect using immersive VR, or Virtual Reality. Users can discover new places with friends, compete in games and interactive experiences, and design worlds of their own or be inspired by others.
Meta’s Horizon is also designed as a virtual workspace, so it’s good to know you’ll be able to get some virtual coffee.
“Wendy’s, Meta’s Creative Shop and Horizon Worlds creators worked together to bring this experience to life,” said Nicky Bell, Meta’s Vice President of Creative Shop. “Wendy’s has always been an innovative leader in how they work with creators—building this world is a great example of how brands can show up in Horizon Worlds in intentional, meaningful ways with their communities.”
The Wendyverse can be accessed through a Quest 2 headset, or by computer by visiting Wendyverse.com.