Dept launches 300-strong metaverse and Web3 unit

Global digital agency Dept has unveiled its new metaverse and Web3 unit, WEB3/DEPT, to help clients experiment with blockchain technology, build immersive experiences in the metaverse and deliver multi-layer strategies for launching NFTs.

The unit has 300 individuals and has been responsible for 5% of Dept’s revenue this year. It has worked on over 60 Web3-focused projects and created work for brands such as H&M, Tomorrowland, SPIN, Eurovision, Sprite (together with Marvel) and Dubai World Expo, as well as Web3 natives including HAPE, Circle, Dequency, Yuga Labs and Merit Circle.

According to Dept, the new unit will make it easier for clients to tap into the agency’s expertise in Web3 business transformation, blockchain technologies, immersive web experiences, AR, VR, gaming and the metaverse, as well as proprietary solutions for blockchain, webGL, pixel streaming and blockchain education.

The team will also introduce a new Web3 Labs platform to help both clients and employees better understand Web3 fundamentals, including the difference between crypto coins and crypto tech, why decentralised tech is here to stay, and primers on wallets, NFTs, DAOs, marketplaces, and stablecoins, among others.

Isabel Perry, vice president at WEB3/DEPT, said Web3 and the metaverse are the two transformational technological evolutions of the next decade. “But it’s hard for CMOs and CIOs to figure out where to start. Over the last two years, we’ve helped so many brands to redefine the way they interact with their customers that we feel it’s time to combine all this expertise and knowledge under the WEB3/DEPT banner,” she added.

According to the agency, its Web3 experience is grounded in a heavy tech focus and dates back to 2015 when it helped build the first-ever crypto bank with Circle. Since then, the agency has built expertise in blockchain applications and marketplaces, including creating Algomart, an open-source solution built on the sustainable Algorand blockchain for launching an NFT marketplace.

Dept is also responsible for a number of immersive experiences across the web, AR/VR/XR, gaming and the metaverse, including a US$100 million metaverse R&D Hub in Melbourne for Thai media giant T&B Media Global; a unique Web3 experience for fashion brand H&Mbeyond which turned its showroom into an immersive, virtual experience; and a Cookie Monster AR game within the Sesame Street Yourself app.

Dept’s CEO Dimi Albers explained that Web3 feels a bit like mobile back in 2006 – still in its infancy but bound to be impactful for everyone, everywhere. “We think the combination of our strong intellectual property, track record of delivering more than 60 Web3 projects, and our diverse mix of engineers, creatives and strategies who get the Web3 vision sets us apart, along with our ambitious R&D plans across EMEA, the US and Asia Pacific,” he added,

Founded in Amsterdam in 2015, Dept is made up of more than 3,500 people in 17 countries across five continents and hit US$500 million in revenue this year. Albers told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE in a previous interview that agencies in Australia and India are hot on its radar as the markets present the agency with the right opportunities in quality of assets, scale, and long term value creation for brands.

He also remains confident that Dept has the right amount of diversification in its offerings, clients and revenue streams to sustain growth even through difficult times, despite the volatile economic situation.