Complex's Third Annual Metaverse Event Goes All In on Virtual Commerce

When Complex Networks debuted the first iteration of ComplexLand, its video game-like virtual musical festival, at the height of the pandemic in 2020, few major brands were familiar with the metaverse and NFTs had only begun to penetrate the mainstream. For its third ComplexLand, the marketing world has largely caught up to the vision of that initial event. The three-day event, which kicks off today, features a longer roster of brands advertising or hosting activations within its open-world format, ranging from PacSun NFTs to Pizza Hut prizes and a plethora of product drops. Complex svp of brand partnerships Jeff Mazzacano said the culture-focused media brand has doubled down on the commerce aspect of the event as its real-life counterpart, ComplexCon, has been able to return to an in-person setting. "At the core, we realized [ComplexLand] is a shopping destination," Mazzacano said. "It was really important for this community to make sure that people know that regardless of all the live shopping or all of the social tactics to shop, this is still an area in which this multicultural audience can converge and really explore these brands and experience that drop culture in a cool way." While the first ComplexLand event involved musical performances and celebrity talks that would have otherwise been part of the media company's then-canceled flagship real-world event, the latest iteration is more firmly focused on serving as a metaverse marketplace. Headline brand sponsors include ESPN, Fidelity, Gushers—which will offer branded virtual sneakers—Hugo, Lexus, Pizza Hut and UPS. Serving as curator of NFTs will be computer-generated influencer Lil Miquela, while comedian and DJ Kerwin Frost will co-host. Visitors to ComplexLand will start by creating a custom avatar and dressing it in sometimes-branded apparel items. They can then wander the virtual realm, exploring the various product drops, mini-games and influencer-led experiences that make up the event. Mazzacano said now that ComplexCon is back as a physical event, its virtual counterpart has come to serve as a test lab for various metaverse concepts the BuzzFeed-owned media brand wants to test run. "This is almost a proving ground," Mazzacano said. "Is this a virtual mall? Does this happen more than just one weekend a year? Are there going to be virtual companions to our real-life events like ComplexCon? Do we stand up ComplexLand or some virtual storefront for some of our brand partners? All of that is something we are contemplating." Complex's ongoing push into the metaverse comes as publishers are leaning more heavily on revenue streams like commerce and events as an alternative to digital ad revenue. Complex, which was acquired by BuzzFeed from Verizon last year, has an editorial focus on streetwear and sneaker culture that makes it particularly well-suited for the crossover into shopping destination. In the couple years since Complex's first virtual world, brands of all kinds have pushed further into the metaverse space with their own video game-like events and destinations in this shared online layer of reality. "It does allow us to continue to go back to advertisers with almost like, 'We told you so, you should listen to us more often,'" Mazzacano said. "Especially, if you look back 20 years, who knew we'd be talking about sneakers as much as we are or hip-hop being pop culture? We've been, and doing a good job editorially and from a business perspective staying ahead of those trends."