November is a big month for soccer fans as they anticipate the kickoff of the World Cup . Ahead of the prestigious tournament, Hublot, who has served as an official partner and timekeeper for the sport since 2006, has launched a one-of-a-kind experience for sports and watch fans alike: the “Hublot Loves Football Metaverse Stadium.”
This hybrid sport, art and digital events space in the metaverse was devised by a team from the legendary MEIS Architects firm. The multi-disciplinary stadium architecture and design practice has built a reputation as the foremost designers of sports, entertainment and urban activation venues including the Crypto.com stadium as well as the Everton FC and Roma Stadiums. For the “Hublot Loves Football Metaverse Stadium,” they drew inspiration from the composition of the case body and digital face of Hublot’s recently launched Big Bang smartwatch.
“In designing this stadium, we took inspiration from Hublot’s brave, unapologetic and unparalleled approach to design,” shared Dan Meis, FAIA, Founder and Managing Principal of MEIS Studios. “By referencing the Big Bang e, the project mirrors Hublot’s storied history of introducing new dimensions of design to new audiences. This partnership encapsulates all the world has come to know from Hublot and MEIS: a forward-thinking design philosophy paired with an attention to detail that is timeless and without equal.”
Hublot has been an early adopter of crypto in the luxury watch industry. In 2018, the year that marked the 10th anniversary of Bitcoin, Hublot introduced the limited edition Big Bang Meca-10 P2P, which was only available for purchase via Bitcoin payments. However, the “Hublot Loves Football Metaverse Stadium” marks the brand’s first foray into the metaverse.
In addition to MEIS Studios, Hublot enlisted the help of Spatial to create the largest metaverse venue to date. Run by experienced leaders from Apple, Nest, LucasArts and Disney, Spatial is the Web3 home for luxury brands in the metaverse. In partnership with Hublot, Spatial notched a metaverse milestone with a 90,000-spectator stadium, equipped with a concourse and media wall showcasing numerous ambassadors and friends of the brand.
As part of the Hublot Loves Football campaign, dedicated exhibitions equipped for VR experience to access the stadium will pop up next to Hublot Boutiques in luxury shopping malls in Doha, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand throughout the month of November.
Previously published on Robb Report.
