Nearing the 2022 U.S. election cycle, news that misinformation had begun to take hold in the metaverse started circulating. So for Steak-umm, who's known for acting on real social issues like misinformation, media literacy, and critical thinking, it was time to act.

The brand strategy is 100% Real: because we're 100% real beef, we're against everything fake. From misinformation to fake "friends", fake filters, fake anything. Knowing that fake news and misinformation were starting to spread in a fake place (the metaverse), we needed to do something to enact real change.

Our challenge was to break through in a meaningful way that could take our legacy of educating about the dangers of misinformation, but make it actionable. We wanted to inspire our social audience—a loyal following who has rallied around our cause—to spread the word and become better-informed internet citizens.

Inspired by our iconic social media presence known for its stance against misinformation, we created Meataversity of Steak-umm: the metaverse's only "university" dedicated to teaching how to spot, navigate, and stop misinformation in the world of Web 3.0 (and beyond).

One of Steak-umm's key targets is young single men who are likely to make quick and savory meals for themselves at home. Knowing that these young men are more likely to be gamers, early adopters of technology, and "extremely online" internet users, we knew the metaverse was the perfect place to break through in a meaningful way to reinforce our 100% Real brand strategy, push against misinformation, and allow Steak-umm to take a stance.

Given our loyal following on social media, we used Steak-umm's channels to raise awareness for and drive attendance of our activation.

We built a college campus in the metaverse to hold an interactive 5-minute lecture about misinformation and critical thinking. Once the lecture was complete, users could take a quiz to receive a real NFT diploma, peruse the cafeteria to earn a free box of Steak-umm, and even collect free wearables for their avatars in the bookstore.

The structure of the Meataversity of Steak-umm was crafted to feel like a premiere institution with dark brick facades, white stone columns, and regal brown wood interiors. The lecture hall was modeled after modern learning spaces with a sleek, connected desk design and big windows that allowed natural light to illuminate the room. The NFT diploma was tailored for each user, and modeled after diplomas of real universities. Our wearable t-shirt had a classic collegiate style, and the graduation cap wearable included the signature Steaksperson box head: both of these items were so stylish that they hit the wearable resale market.

The experience itself was meant to be challenging, yet enjoyable. We filled the lecture video with visual aids to enhance comprehension, while also adding visual intrigue to the topic. Each user was given the opportunity to retake the quiz until they passed, enhancing the user experience while still encouraging comprehension.

By honoring the design of classic learning institutions, we went all-in to make the experience as entertaining as it was impactful and injected real wisdom into a new frontier of socialization.

Our activation attracted a staggering 16% of the entire metaverse, proving extreme effectiveness where it mattered most. Additionally, 33% of attendees fully completed the curriculum and the average user spent 12 minutes engaging with our experience. We earned ~3 million impressions on social, with an engagement rate of 19.5%. Response from our target audience on social media was overwhelmingly positive, as was the sentiment on Twitch (where metaverse streamers covered the activation).