IHeartMedia will host “A Special Ed Sheeran Experience” in the online video game Fortnite, beginning October 5. The multipronged virtual experience, which celebrates new music from the Grammy-winning artist, will be accessed by Fortnite players through iHeartLand’s State Farm Park.
Experience builder. The experience, which runs October 5 through October 9, is the first third-party music experience built using Epic Games’ Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN). UEFN allows creators, as well as brands of any size, to build games and experiences published on Fortnite and available to its players.
In this new experience, Fortnite players will be able to navigate through four 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 four themes: a metropolitan city at night, a boxing ring at dusk, a high-speed boat ride and a forest setting. All four scenes are loaded with Easter eggs related to Sheeran’s music.
“We knew [Sheeran] was the perfect artist to feature for our first immersive experience, built in partnership with Epic Games,” said Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer for iHeartMedia, in a company release. “We want to continue 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 that are 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 continue to be at the forefront of culture and innovation,” said Alyson Griffin, Marketing Vice President, State Farm, in a release. “State Farm was the first company to have a naming rights deal in the metaverse with State Farm Park in iHeartLand, bringing gaming fans an entirely new and immersive music experience with 25+ concert and podcast events featuring some of today’s biggest artists. State Farm Park has allowed us to reach the next generation of customers where they are and we’re thrilled to be working with iHeartMedia on cutting-edge and entertaining activations like this one.”
Fortnite has approximately 231 million active 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 want 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 kind of exposure in virtual environments.
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