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Nike is teaming up with Fortnite to continue building out its virtual presence. With its new metaverse experience “Airphoria”, open from today until 27 June and located within the popular game, Nike hopes to deepen its connection with fans of its Air Max sneakers. It’s leaning into gamification in a bid to boost engagement amid metaverse hesitancy.
The premise is simple: it’s a “sneaker hunt” wherein players move through a virtual world inspired by Air Max design codes. Five Air Max “Grails” (sneakers) — the Air Max 1 OG, Air Max 97, Air Max TW, Air Max Scorpion and Air Max Pulse — hover above the virtual world. Each Air Max Grail represents a key moment in the history of the sneaker. These floating sneakers also power the virtual world — when they’re grounded and scattered throughout the city at the beginning of the game (because one of the characters, Maxxed Out Max, wants to steal them), Airphoria starts to lose its power. It’s the players’ mission to return the shoes to their airborne state. Players who complete the challenge will unlock a portal to the vault, which contains a (virtual) Air Max 1 ‘86 Back Bling reward that will be dropped into their Fortnite lockers from 28 June.
The goal is to bridge the digital and physical aspects of Nike consumers’ lives. “We’re always looking for authentic ways to deepen our connection with fans and inspire a love of culture and sport,” says Ron Faris, VP/GM of Nike Virtual Studios. “Now, more than ever, our consumers blur the line when they express themselves across physical and digital worlds. Our partnership with [Fortnite parent company] Epic and the launch of Airphoria represents a new, immersive experience for Nike as it delivers deeper storytelling and engagement through gaming and virtual products and experiences.”
At a time when metaverse hype has waned and Web3 projects have gone relatively quiet (save for Louis Vuitton’s recent phygital drop), investment in gaming is a safer bet. The industry is only expected to grow in terms of engagement and revenue, according to PwC’s global entertainment and media outlook.
The Nike experience is powered by Epic Games’s Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN), which launched in March and enables brands to create in-game experiences. Nike is one of the first brands to use the tool — and others can learn from its approach, says Nate Nanzer, vice president of global partnerships at Epic Games. “It comes back to being authentic and knowing your audience,” he explains. Epic has also just announced a strategic partnership with LVMH, with a focus on technology including 3D creation, AR and digital twins.
In addition to the in-game experience, Nike is dropping a physical collection in North America, which will include Nike Air Max x Airphoria co-branded tees. Fortnite players can purchase the outfits showcased on the Airphoria characters (Airie and Maxxed Out Max) in the Fortnite Item Shop.
Nike teased the partnership with a tweet on 16 June, leaving users wondering whether the brand was planning to release a drop of sneaker NFTs within the Fortnite universe. This isn’t the case. “The connection between Fortnite and Nike doesn t integrate any NFTs or digital item trading marketplaces into the Fortnite world or its economy,” Faris says. “Items recognised across these two ecosystems are purely for the enjoyment of the purchaser, and aren’t tradeable, transferrable, or sellable, as has always been the case in the Fortnite economy.” Instead, it’s part of a larger effort to bring Nike’s Air Max brand into the world of Fortnite, Faris adds.
The project builds on Nike’s history with Epic Games. In 2019, Nike dropped virtual Air Jordan outfits in Fortnite, which included Nike Air Jordan 1s sneakers. The following year, the two companies introduced Travis Scott’s Air Jordan 6s as an in-game skin.
It’s also part of Nike’s own wider metaverse and Web3 strategy. In December 2021, Nike acquired digital design studio Rtfkt. In November 2022, the brand introduced Dot Swoosh, its Web3 platform and ecosystem designed to appeal to traditional brand fans (versus Web3 denizens), which is still in beta. Earlier this month, the first Dot Swoosh digital sneaker NFT sale sold about 90 per cent of the 106,453 available (for $19.82 each). The brand also entered into a new partnership with sports video game maker EA Sports, which will incorporate Nike virtual goods.
“Dot Swoosh is the home for Nike’s virtual creations,” Faris says. “It’s an ecosystem committed to innovating the future of sport and gaming experiences at the intersection of play and culture. Participating in new immersive platforms, like Fortnite, allows us to create innovative ways to unlock virtual experiences, products and rewards, meeting fans and gamers where they are and expanding access points to Nike across the digital ecosystem.”
By partnering with Fortnite, Nike is also appealing to the wider gaming community. With an average of 70 million monthly active users in 2023, Fortnite has a ready and eager usership that requires less onboarding than Nike’s Dot Swoosh efforts. That said, the brand is also linking the two: Airphoria pack owners who complete the Fortnite sneaker hunt, and link their Epic Games and Nike accounts before the experience closes on 27 June, can add the Airphoria achievement to their Dot Swoosh collection. “Dot Swoosh is removing the barriers and limitations of physical product,” says Faris. “The possibilities in this space for Nike are limitless.”
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