WPP partners with Epic Games and dives into the metaverse

Agency holding company WPP has partnered with interactive entertainment company Epic Games.

Epic Games, the developer responsible for Unreal Engine and the hit game Fortnite, will help WPP agencies adapt to a new era of digital experiences for companies in the metaverse. 

WPP’s PR firms include BCW and Hill+Knowlton Strategies, as well as the Ogilvy network.

The partnership implements a new training program, with curriculum for executives, creative practitioners and media experts and strategists and will train WPP employees on how to create custom brand experiences in Fortnite using Unreal Engine.

WPP teams will work closely with Epic Games specialists to build interactive experiences for brands in Unreal Engine, an advanced real-time 3D creation tool used across a range of industries including games, film, architecture, fashion, automotive, music and live events.

WPP has collaborated with SuperAwesome, an Epic Games company, to produce innovative work such as the immersive Island built for Adidas in Fortnite for its Ozweego sneaker line.

This year, WPP acquired influencer marketing agency Village Marketing. Last summer, WPP also acquired AI technology company Satalia to promote AI capabilities across the company and help shape the holding company’s AI strategy. Both companies joined Wunderman Thompson. 

WPP's PR business outperformed the company's other divisions in the first quarter of 2022, as like-for-like revenue in the PR arm rose 14.1%.

(This article first appeared on PRWeek.com)