Media Publishares, publishers of Vogue, Esquire, Robb Report and Buro in Singapore, announces a partnership with VIDY to launch and develop an NFT platform catering to the fashion, arts and music industry.
VIDY, founded by Singaporean techpreneur Matthew Lim and Harvard University alumni Patrick Colangelo, is a blockchain-powered digital advertising tool that rewards viewers with native cryptocurrency, VIDYCOIN. Having implemented VIDY’s technology across Media Publishares‘ titles, the partnership between the two companies grew organically given their shared ‘digital first’ approach and innovative thinking.
The NFT platform – slated to launch in Q3 of 2021 – celebrates arts and culture within a 360-degree navigable virtual environment showcasing digital fashion, art, music and design. Key features of the platform include minting, trading and auctioning of NFTs through a tokenised system along with the ability to host social interaction.
Focused on building virtual creativity as a skill set while promoting sustainable consumption, the platform will donate a percentage of NFT sales towards organisations tackling real-world problems to ensure a positive connection between the virtual and physical worlds.
“The NFT market grew over 229% since 2020 to reach over USD500 million. However, it’s still in early stages and has a long way to go with regards to infrastructure development. With the metaverse and rise of digital models, people will be able to live in a parallel virtual world where they can own a digital identity and purchase items not just in a digital file, but as any unique asset in their virtual land, similar to their physical world,” says Lim.
“For this new NFT platform, VIDY will lead the technology and blockchain development given our unique experience in dealing with traditional businesses and crypto. We are confident we will create the finest platform that will boost the NFT world by allowing seamless participation from the traditional fashion, art and music communities.”
The NFT platform will target a digitally savvy audience looking for luxury items with low environmental impact while also engaging creators exploring a virtual identity for their designs and new revenue streams for their craft.
“Media Publishares has always been ahead of the curve with its innovative approach to storytelling as lead by our anchor titles Vogue, Esquire, Robb Report and Buro Singapore”, says Michael von Schlippe, President of Media Publishares.
“What we see is a new creative renaissance where creativity and technology are driving change together. By creating an NFT platform, which essentially acts as a virtual marketplace between creatives and users, it allows us to provide a unique shoppable platform coupled with content for the community in the form of education, interaction and entertainment,” adds von Schlippe.
Titles under Media Publishares have gained global recognition for their approach to content creation. Notable projects include Esquire Singapore’s ‘Artificial Intelligence Issue’ that won Gold at the Native Advertising Awards in Berlin and Vogue Singapore’s digital-only launch in August 2020 with a 360-degree microsite ‘Vogue Studio’, amongst others.
