Snapple Created a Bodega in the Metaverse

There’s a new bodega in the metaverse game Decentraland, and the sugary beverage company Snapple is behind it.

The virtual New York City-style corner store was erected by Snapple in the metaverse on Wednesday, bodega cat included. CoinDesk visited Thursday, perusing the pixelated aisles and on a scavenger hunt for flying chopped cheeses and Snapple bottle caps.

The entire installation is a self-proclaimed advertisement for Snapple’s newest “Elements” drink collection. Buying the bottles has Web3 upside, too: Each IRL drink comes with a code to claim a non-fungible token (NFT) wearable, according to the company’s website.

One part of the in-game scavenger yielded a $1.39 rebate code for buyers of the drink. Ironically, the real-life discount snubs crypto, telling users they must link their PayPal accounts to cash in.

It’s not the first time a company has aped into Decentraland as a promotional medium. The Australian Open created a tennis-themed pop-up for last January’s tournament. Bud Light unveiled its own metaverse bar around Super Bowl Sunday; J.P. Morgan’s virtual lounge opened a few weeks later.

It’s also not Snapple’s first dive into Web3. The company partnered with the Tezos and Polygon-based NFT platform OneOf to release its debut collection last May, the first effort in what now appears to be a larger campaign targeted at crypto-curious beverage drinkers.

Part of the bodega’s marketing also includes partnerships with popular Twitch streamers, who have been active promoters of the installation on social media.

Promotions like Snapple’s have been mostly met with groans from the metaverse-native, but as the idea of Web3 treks forward into the mainstream, it’s likely these installations will only become more common. Pepsi famously made all of crypto Twitter cringe with its attempt at adopting crypto slang last December, but its ensuing NFT collection ultimately turned out to be a success, doing almost $6 million in sales volume.