By Jalaja Ramanunni
The F&B industry is finding new ways to engage with its audience as brands across all industries migrate to the metaverse. Food brands Maggi and Papa Johns have dipped their toes into the world of Web 3.0 by launching digital collectibles with Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) in OneRare foodverse.
Papa Johns NFT collection will feature three popular pizzas as digital collectibles – super papa’s pizza, spicy chicken ranch pizza, and vegan sheese garden special pizza. Meanwhile, Maggi is launching recipes made with Maggi noodles, Maggi masala-ae-magic and Maggi hot & sweet as NFTs. It uses blockchain technology to reach out to its users in OneRare.
If you’re wondering (like I did), there’s no real food involved, but that isn’t the point of NFTs. NFTs are collectible and resalable digital art, real estate, or video. Like physical art, NFTs can be displayed or traded for money, cryptocurrencies, or other NFTs.
OneRare is a food metaverse that allows brands to create virtual experiences, food NFTs and games and interact with food lovers worldwide. UAE-based brands such as Foodlink, Bhukkad Cafe, Farzi Cafe, Cali Poke and Papa Johns UAE are other brands that have signed up with OneRare to release their NFTs for signature dishes.
Is the metaverse becoming a new tool for the F&B industry
Food brands are exploring using NFTs as a new way to engage with their customers and market their products through limited edition collections, rewards programs, virtual experiences and sustainability initiatives.
Supreet Raju, co-founder, OneRare, comments: “Today, every brand establishes a social presence for discovery and loyalty, but the experience is 2-dimensional and flows largely through one-way communication. The metaverse will change that by allowing for an immersive experience that builds the community and allows your customer to feel like they are a part of the brand, not just a follower. The metaverse allows food businesses to engage audiences beyond their physical means and establish a global presence. It also enables immersive experiences that help food businesses market and monetise their brand.”
Tapan Vaidya, CEO, Papa Johns UAE KSA & JOR, shares: “We are committed to staying ahead of the curve and exploring innovative technologies like NFTs and web 3.0. This not only positions our brand at the forefront of the industry but also helps us capture the attention and loyalty of the next generation of consumers eager for cutting-edge experiences. Our tie-up with one-rare is a step in that direction.”
Rajat Jain, head, the foods business, Nestlé India, says: “With this partnership, we bring to people an immersive cooking experience, designed to bring alive the pleasure that people derive from the process of cooking, without any physical cooking involved.”
