Each year, the MTV Video Music Awards set out to chart new territory and innovate. Harnessing the power of music and fandoms, the VMAs transcend genres, generations, languages and platforms – and what better way to connect with these diverse, global fanbases than in an immersive space that anyone can experience, no matter where in the world you live.
In 2022 we took a giant leap into the metaverse with The VMA Experience on Roblox – a fully-bespoke, immersive world that introduced the VMAs to an emerging generation of music fans on the rise! After all, the Moon Person represents all of us, whether you use a remote or an emote ;)
The experience featured a virtual red carpet and an interactive galactic landscape to explore. Players around the globe competed in challenges and chatted with characters to earn MTV tokens and other exclusive items. Plus, we kept the M in MTV by giving fans the opportunity to move and groove in three minigames:
Tap That Dance: Players stepped into the spotlight and showed off their best moves on the dance floor
Race to the VMAs: Players’ skills and speed were put to the test as they ran to the beat through an obstacle course
VMA Studio Session: With the help of a swanky music producer, players used a combination of instruments to create their own custom tunes
And for the first time ever, fans were able to vote on Roblox for a brand new VMA category: Best Metaverse Performance. The truly gamified voting rewarded top players with extra votes in exchange for MTV tokens, directly connecting gameplay with the outcome of the Best Metaverse Performance winner in-show.
As we dove headfirst into week of show, we had to get our VMA performers in on the fun! Global rock sensation Måneskin entered The VMA Experience live from rehearsals sporting custom avatars for an exclusive Meet & Greet with fans that had press “Beggin” for more.
The “Best Metaverse Performance” winner went home with more than a physical Moon Person trophy! To immortalize the inaugural award, we minted our first-ever VMA NFT to mark the occasion which was transferred to winner BLACKPINK’s digital wallet.
We drove awareness through strong partnerships. Roblox promoted the experience on their homepage and created MTV merch for fans to customize their avatars. Influencer TwiistedPandora created an off-platform walkthrough and promoted the experience on social.
The program ignited social buzz across the gaming community as fans were eager and excited to engage!
In just three weeks, the VMA Experience…
Welcomed more than 765,000 unique players
Drove over 1.9 million game visits
Generated over 4.7 million total minutes consumed
6M+ MTV tokens collected
1M+ in-game rewards unlocked
1.5M+ votes cast for Best Metaverse Performance on Roblox
The experience also received heavy buzz through press coverage across the Wall Street Journal, Variety, Rolling Stone, Fortune, and more.
