McD Partners with Digital Creators to Celebrate Chinese New Year in the Metaverse

McD will bring a new experience to celebrate Chinese New Year in the metaverse. (Photo; Doc. Tectology)

JAKARTA – Ahead of the Chinese New Year, which falls on January 22, 2023, the fast food chain company McDonald's announced its new plan. McD partners with digital artist Karen X Cheng to bring Chinese New Year celebrations to the metaverse.

McD announced its collaboration with Cheng on January 12, 2023. This is part of the company's innovative digital campaign covering four main points, namely:

1. Creative design by collaborating digital creator Cheng, who acknowledges his Chinese-American heritage.
2. An augmented reality (AR) Instagram filter depicting a 3D transition from the Year of the Tiger (2022) to the Year of the Rabbit (2023).
3. An AI-powered television commercial inspired by Cheng's memories of celebrating the holiday.
4. A metaverse experience that blends traditional Asian elements with futuristic influences in virtual space.

Citing DailyCoin, the campaign is described as "the future of Chinese New Year" and allows anyone with a connected device to experience the cultural holiday through a "new lens".

This collaboration offers a unique and interactive metaverse experience, allowing users to engage with Chinese New Year celebrations in new ways. This has the potential to bridge the gap between tradition and technology.

Fusion of Culture and Technology

The McDonald's Chinese New Year campaign aims to incorporate next-generation technology into the McDonald's culture in a way that is accessible to the global community.

McDonald's has a history of celebrating culture and helping society through initiatives such as youth development programs, community donations, and volunteer programs. McD is making efforts to recognize the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, among other groups.

McDonald's celebrates important cultural events and strives to meet the needs of AAPI students through programs such as APA Next. Launching in 2021 with an emphasis on AAPI students, APA Next is just one way McDonald's is demonstrating its commitment to making sure AAPI can be seen and heard.

The Chinese New Year Partnership isn't the first time McDonald's has ventured into the Web3 space. McDonald's scored a limited collection of McRib NFTs on OpenSea on November 1, 2021, which is currently priced at 100 ETH (approximately $154.291).