23 Sep, 2021
September 20th, 2021 marks the launch of a multi-pronged creative partnership between Balenciaga and the award-winning online gaming platform Fortnite. It is the first time in Fortnite’s history that it has chosen to work with a luxury brand.
Within
the game, virtual Balenciaga skins, or outfits, will be available via a virtual store. Players can also access virtual
Balenciaga backpacks, Triple S Sneakers, and tools inspired by iconic
products, like a Speed Sneaker Pickaxe and an Hourglass Bag Glider.
The virtual store, a take on existing physical
Balenciaga locations, appears in the game’s popular Battle
Royale mode, in an area called Retail Row in English. (In other languages, this area is
differently named, i.e., Sklepowa Sadyba, Ciudad Comercio, Metrópoli Mercantil). Virtual products can be
used in multiple game modes.
To
commemorate this partnership, Balenciaga has designed a limited-edition series of physical products, available in stores and
on balenciaga.com. Hoodies,
shirts, jackets, and caps feature Fortnite
and Balenciaga logos, as well as artwork that lists multiple translations of
Fortnite’s shopping area.
To
announce the new products, the two brands have together created an expansive
campaign titled Strange Times, featuring character models Doggo, Ramirez, Banshee, and Knight. Content includes
largescale, forced perspective videos, in which a
Balenciaga-wearing Doggo appears 3-dimensional and hyperreal. These will be displayed for one day
only each in New York City, London, Seoul, and Tokyo.
