IHeartMedia will host “A Special Ed Sheeran Experience” in the web video game Fortnite, starting October 5. The multipronged virtual experience, which celebrates latest music from the Grammy-winning artist, shall be accessed by Fortnite players through iHeartLand’s State Farm Park.
Experience builder. The experience, which runs October 5 through October 9, is the primary third-party music experience built using Epic Games’ Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN). UEFN allows creators, in addition to brands of any size, to construct games and experiences published on Fortnite and available to its players.
In this latest experience, Fortnite players will have the opportunity to navigate through 4 immersive environments based on Sheeran’s exclusive performances for iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia’s network of live streaming audio stations. The experiences include virtual video screens that show Sheeran performing a setlist of songs from the album “- (Subtract)” and the forthcoming “Autumn Variations,” available September 29.
These environments have scenery based on 4 themes: a metropolitan city at night, a boxing ring at dusk, a high-speed boat ride and a forest setting. All 4 scenes are loaded with Easter eggs related to Sheeran’s music.
“We knew [Sheeran] was the proper artist to feature for our first immersive experience, built in partnership with Epic Games,” said Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer for iHeartMedia, in an organization release. “We want to proceed to push boundaries of tech and innovation for music and gaming fans, allowing them to go deeper into the songs, lyrics and meaning behind the music in ways which might be native to the Fortnite environment.
State Farm Park. “A Special Ed Sheeran Experience” is accessed through State Farm Park in iHeartLand, which iHeartMedia launched on Fortnite in 2022. State Farm is the media company’s naming rights partner.
“Our collaboration with iHeartMedia has allowed State Farm to proceed to be on the forefront of culture and innovation,” said Alyson Griffin, Marketing Vice President, State Farm, in a release. “State Farm was the primary company to have a naming rights deal in the metaverse with State Farm Park in iHeartLand, bringing gaming fans a completely latest and immersive music experience with 25+ concert and podcast events featuring a few of today’s biggest artists. State Farm Park has allowed us to reach the following generation of consumers where they’re and we’re thrilled to be working with iHeartMedia on cutting-edge and entertaining activations like this one.”
Fortnite has roughly 231 million energetic users, according to business intelligence company Demand Sage.
Why we care. Younger consumers watch less TV and play more games. And this audience doesn’t just play games to beat them — they need to explore, socialize and experience content in these worlds. That’s why big brands like State Farm are planting a flag, and why global stars like Sheeran can’t pass up this type of exposure in virtual environments.
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