Worlds

Words by Jeavon Smith Chief Creative Officer, Amplify

Worldbuilding forms the evolution of brand worlds, crafting more interconnected and immersive ways to engage with audiences. The combination of emerging technologies and the continual blurred lines of channels, disciplines and mediums ensure it will only gain more traction as a fundamental framework within which to build brands.

So where does worldbuilding go next? Well, as with many good stories, sometimes it’s about turning our attention back to the beginning – in this case, to the world of sci-fi and fantasy which form its origins.

The Companion takes fans deeper into the universe of Stargate with new original scripts being developed, readings with former cast members and new narrative arcs to explore. Take that model and attach the potential of AI tools and you unlock an ability to enable continually customisable content to meet the interests and imagination of the audience.

The focus should also shift from audience to community - a key frontier for where worldbuilding goes next.

Community connections

We’re starting to see how some of the most exciting developments are baked around a highly engaged small or even micro community to stimulate growth. From a streetwear phenomenon like Corteiz to Black Girl Gamers, the common thread is structuring the brand world in a way that fosters deeper connection. Niche is no longer about beginnings, it’s about a place to belong.

Rather than being for everybody, it’s creating interactions that become more a reflection of identity – as they deliberately impress what an individual likes, believes and stands for. The notion that brand worlds enable the audience to project persona creates a real opportunity to think about worldbuilding as an approach to establishing richer and more expansive levels of audience engagement. Crucially, worldbuilding can catalyse that sense of community through a myriad of new and emerging creative tools.

Experimenting with AI

Salt is a movie created using AI and social media by tech entrepreneur Fabian Stelzer. However, Stelzer isn’t just embarking on an attempt to make a film using AI creative visualisation tools - such as Midjourney and DALL.E. Salt’s growing community of followers are co-authoring where the story goes next – from location to narrative. It’s a new way to conceive how, and crucially who, determines the way a film is made.

Black Tales Untold (@blacktalesuntold) uses AI tools to shine a light on ‘the forgotten black icons that deserve a movie’ and is based on true stories. This is so much more than social commentary; it shines a light on how and where creation may begin to generate a connection with an audience and thus become reality. Emerging technologies will enable more experimentation that in turn will establish new opportunities to build worlds with and for audiences. These emerging tools require a low barrier to entry and will power a new wave of test and learn as content can be crafted more independently. So, expect to see a diverse range of applications catch fire.

As a temperature check on where any cultural shift is going, you rarely need to look much further than fashion – where a recent movement towards worldbuilding is evident. The likes of Gucci and Vivienne Westwood have doubled down on a more fluid and accessible aesthetic narrative that has been able to build stronger connections with younger audiences. As we see the changing of the guard at some of the major fashion houses, expect to see the cultural shift continue into new trends and mediums as worldbuilding frames the cultural extension of brands.

Unleashing your digital persona

Avatars will also continue to take the next step in 2023 and beyond. From the world of influence, with Lil Miquela we’re now seeing new possibilities through AI. This year saw basketball player Luka Dončić become Luk.ai – an avatar alter-ego of the Dallas Mavericks point guard. Fans were able to converse and engage with Luk.ai and, on the face of it, create new types of interaction with a sporting superstar. These new extensions of character could ultimately lead to any number of commercialisation opportunities and a complete reimagining of what visual rights are and the revenue potentials associated with them.

Even more established avatar creations such as Gorillaz are exploring where and how audiences access new forms of experience. Using AR to transform public spaces into immersive cultural experiences, the band recently transformed the streets of New York and London into stages for performances of its new single, ‘Skinny Ape’ accessible via the Gorillaz Presents app.

Getting deep

Ultimately, much of worldbuilding in 2023 will be around how we connect with and serve communities by bringing them richer and deeper levels of engagement. Amplify’s work with Netflix on La Casa de Papel: The Biggest Fan tapped into a niche super fan segment of the audience and super-charged it. Participants’ journey from UGC casting tape to starring in a new reality format created a direct link to the universe of the show, with the eventual winner assuming the character name of their home city to become part of that world forever. Something that was made for a smaller community was designed to ensure it would entertain the masses and in doing so bring them into the show’s final season. That intersection of niche to mainstream offers a rich potential when looking to break formats through worldbuilding around both new and existing IP.

That is evident in the proliferation of streetwear culture in high fashion. One of its pioneers – Virgil Abloh –approached his craft through the lens of worldbuilding, creating a continual dialogue with audiences that stemmed from his collection and cross-pollination of cultural inspiration. One of his final collaborations for Louis Vuitton x Nike saw the iconic Air Force 1 crafted in the luxury maison. To introduce it to the world, a New York exhibition took audiences into the dreamscape of his imagination and story. As part of the campaign, Amplify disrupted traditional media and created an anamorphic installation that formed a companion piece for the immersive narrative of Virgil Abloh’s world. As we look ahead to 2023 and beyond, it will be fascinating to see where Shannon Abloh takes the story of his vision and creativity in their next chapter of worldbuilding.

Evolving spaces

As part of our strategic and creative process, we explore how we can break the format around the mode and moment we engage audiences. Worldbuilding is a gateway to so many new avenues to forge and deepen those connections and ensure they extend out across a myriad of different forms of interactions. It becomes less about the channel mix and more about the spaces in between, enabling the communities to form around the story in the places they want to discover it. Much like the original worldbuilders, it’s about creating a rich and diverse tapestry that allows the audience to connect the dots surrounding the central story and plot their own journey through.