Ferrari, an already automaking icon in the real world, is now looking to strengthen its brand in the metaverse space. The Italian luxury cars maker has set up a separate department focusing on digital services.
CEO Benedetto Vigna, in an interview, mentioned that this dedicated department would explore opportunities arising from the space that blends gaming, virtual reality, and social media. The push also includes blockchain and NFTs (non-fungible tokens) technologies.
During a conference call with analysts, Vigna said, “It’s important to look into new technologies that could help our brand”. He also added that Ferrari is working on new tech partnerships. Some tech giants see metaverse as the future of human interaction and communication.
Last year, when Mark Zuckerberg changed his company’s name from Facebook to Meta Platforms Inc., he called the space “the next frontier”. Recently, Microsoft bought Activision Blizzard Inc. in its biggest-ever deal due to the commercial opportunities available in the metaverse. Other tech giants like Disney, Tencent, Nike, Roblox, and others have also created their digital footprints in the Metaverse space.
Ferrari has a history in digital entertainment. Last year, Ferrari made its yet-to-be-released 296 GTB model drivable in Fortnite, a multiplayer online game. A shiny red Testarossa was the star of ‘Out Run,’ a blockbuster arcade racing game released in 1986 by Sega and later ported to home computers and consoles, becoming one of the best-sellers.
Ferrari is in the midst of a major overhaul as CEO Vigna, who joined the semiconductor industry in 2021, tries to speed up the Ferrari’s shift toward batteries.
