Puma is entering the metaverse with their Black Station experience. The retailer’s Black Station experience is connecting digital design to physical products via an NFT and gives young consumers virtual access to NYFW. Three portals will lead users through different experiences. The first two, available now, “unveil the Nitro NFRNO and Nitro Fastroid sneakers which are linked to the brand’s recent NFT Nitropass.” Those who’ve secured the pass will have access to two NFTs, each tied to a physical or custom experience. The third portal will function “as the entry point to the digital NYFW metaverse fashion show where visitors can view a digital adaptation of the show and interact with the collection’s pieces.” While YPulse research shows 60% of 13-39-year-olds agree that brands need to interact with virtual worlds to stay relevant, Gen Z and Millennials are interacting with metaverse brand experiences in differing ways: Gen Z is more likely to create avatars/hang out with friends in virtual worlds, while Millennials are more likely to be buying crypto-currency and NFTs. (Marketing Dive)