Gatorade, a popular brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, has filed a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to offer virtual beverage products.
McDonald's, the world's biggest chain of fast-food restaurants, also intends to start offering beverage products and virtual goods, according to its filings that were revealed in February.
Last month, Coca-Cola, the company behind the world's most popular soft drink, announced that its brand-new Zero Sugar Byte drink would make its debut in the Metaverse before launching in the physical world. It teamed up with gaming organization PWR in order to custom build an island within the Fortnite game.
Meanwhile, Heineken hosted a virtual event in March, offering a "taste" of its virtual beer.
In April, brewing company Anheuser-Busch also jumped on the Metaverse bandwagon. It plans to offer NFTs with images of Bud Light's beer cans.card
Mixed signals
A countless number of brands rushed to explore the Metaverse after social media giant Facebook announced its big rebranding last October.
Beyond corporate adoption, institutional investors are growing more interested in virtual worlds. Fidelity Investments, Galaxy Digital and other major players launched Metaverse-related exchange-traded funds in recent weeks.
Even though Reality Labs, Meta's Metaverse business, lost $3 billion in the first quarter, CEO Mark Zuckerberg remains committed to the company's new endeavor. The billionaire defended Facebook's pivot to virtual worlds, claiming that Metaverse is the future.
Yet, Google Trends data shows that interest in the Metaverse has absolutely tanked since Meta's announcement, which is likely a worrying sign for the sector.
Gamza Khanzadaev
Godfrey Benjamin
Dan Burgin
U.Today Editorial Team
Vladislav Sopov