Burberry has today announced it is partnering with Mythical Games to launch a non-fungible token (NFT) collection in their flagship title, Blankos Block Party, a partnership of firsts paving the way for the future of digital ownership in gaming. Blankos Block Party is a ground-breaking, multiplayer party game featuring digital vinyl toys known as Blankos that live on a blockchain, inherently providing players with proof of verified ownership and authenticity. Burberry is the first luxury brand to feature in Blankos Block Party.
Adorned with Burberry’s new TB Summer Monogram and inspired by the brand’s Animal Kingdom house code, the limited-edition, limited-quantity Burberry Blanko – a shark named Sharky B – is an NFT that can be purchased, upgraded, and sold within the Blankos Block Party marketplace. As part of this collection, Burberry will launch its own branded in-game NFT accessories, including a jetpack, armbands and pool shoes, which players can apply to any Blanko they own. Sharky B can also be trained to master an array of powers, including speed and agility, ensuring both the toy’s uniqueness and rarity.
At a time when customers are continuously redefining community spaces and the ways in which they connect with brands, Burberry’s collaboration with Mythical Games reflects the house’s longstanding spirit of innovation and creativity, going beyond to forge lasting connections with its communities.
Rod Manley, Chief Marketing Officer at Burberry said: “Pushing boundaries through experimentation sits at the heart of what we do at Burberry, and we are continually looking to connect with our communities in the spaces they love. With this exciting concept, we are able to unlock genuine value for the gaming community by encouraging players to interact with our brand in an environment that celebrates art, design and exploration.
Gaming is a unique space for us to test and learn and trial digital innovations that embody our values and celebrate creativity amongst our communities. Partnering with Mythical Games feels like a natural next step, going beyond our in-house games by bringing the Burberry universe into an established environment. It has been fantastic to work so closely with Mythical Games to bring this new customer experience to life.”
Nicole Yang, Vice President of Marketing at Mythical Games said: “Mythical is transforming the way creators and brands engage with their audiences through blockchain and player ownership. The Burberry x Blankos collaboration is a highly anticipated first for both our companies – the first NFT collection for Burberry, and the first luxury brand in Blankos Block Party. We’re incredibly excited to bring the iconic TB monogram into the dynamic, unique world of Blankos, giving players a new way to interact with a beloved and forward-thinking brand.”
This will be the first digital item to be released as part of Burberry’s B Series, a series of limited-edition product drops available on Burberry’s channels which combine moments of inspiration and discovery. With the Blankos B Series drop, Burberry is empowering gamers to own an NFT from the new collection and actively engage with its house codes.
The limited-edition Burberry Blanko will be available for in-game purchase to all Blankos Block Party players worldwide on 11 August.
About Burberry and Gaming
- Burberry launched its first game, B Bounce, in October 2019 and its extension Ratberry, in celebration of Chinese New Year, in January 2020.
- The luxury house’s first multi-player game, B Surf, was launched in July 2020 in support of the TB Summer Monogram campaign.
- All games have been developed in-house by Burberry’s digital teams.
- Burberry announced its partnership with Mythical Games in June 2021.
About Mythical Games
Acknowledged by Forbes Disruptive Technology Companies To Watch in 2019 and Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas 2021, Mythical is a next-gen games technology company creating a universal gaming ecosystem by leveraging blockchain technology and NFTs for tools that enable players, creators, artists, brands and game developers to become stakeholders and owners in new game economies.
Led by gaming industry veterans, the team specializes in building games around player-owned economies and has helped develop major franchises including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Guitar Hero, DJ Hero, Marvel Strike Force and Skylanders and a marketplace team of experts from Stubhub, Charles Schwab and QuantCo.
About Blankos Block Party
Mythical’s first flagship title ‘Blankos Block Party’ is a vibrant, inclusive world styled like a giant block party, where players can compete in a variety of fun minigames with friends, collect and blend unique digital vinyl toys called Blankos and earn fully ownable digital items through gameplay, in each case in the form of NFTs which can also be bought and sold on the Mythical Marketplace in player-to-player transactions for real money. This first game transforms the relationship between game economies and players, brands, content creators and game developers to showcase Mythical’s vision of player-owned economies.
