Creative Belgium’s pioneering launch of ‘Metalverse’ in the Metaverse at the 2022 Creative Belgium Awards

As in previous years Creative Belgium will be celebrating the creative excellence of our Belgian businesses and brands at the Creative Belgium Awards. On 3 June 2022 the organization will be recognizing the best campaigns at the Knokke Grand Casino. In addition to handing out the traditional trophies for Belgian creative agencies, Creative Belgium is the first in the world in the communications sector to bestow NFTs as awards. This approach will ensure that all campaign creators duly receive their rewards. Together with OG Studios, Creative Belgium designed the Metalverse, a virtual gallery in which the NFTs will be proudly on display for ever after, specifically for this event.

Welcome to the Metalverse

On 3 June 2022 Creative Belgium (CB) will be celebrating the most creative brands, striking campaigns and original ideas generated in this country. Moreover, the organization will be recognizing experts from the Belgian advertising, design and communications sectors. Despite the fact that it will be possible to stage the Creative Belgium Awards (CBA) live again this year, the digital environment will not be far away. This year Creative Belgium is launching the Metalverse, a fitting name for a virtual gallery in which the NFTs of all the winners will be on display for eternity.

The name ‘Metalverse’ is a nod to the nickname of the CB Awards statues, referred to in the sector as ‘metals’, and a reference to the metaverse, a network of interlinked virtual 3D spaces that enable users to interactively browse and interact via avatars.

"The importance of digital identity is growing. NFTs help shape this growth and prove your achievements and properties in a transparent and verified way", says Ann Claes - co founder WEB32.xyz and MUTANI.

Eternal fame with sustainable NFTs

An NFT, or Non-Fungible Token, is a unique, digital property token. An NFT cannot be copied and as soon as an NFT is recorded in the blockchain, it will be there for eternity. Eternal fame for the creative amongst us so to speak. A blockchain is a technology that facilitates digital property thanks to its users. Creative Belgium will store the NFTs in the Polygon blockchain, which became carbon neutral in 2022 and is consequently more sustainable than other blockchains.

“By converting our awards into NFTs we have created a digital, indestructible identity for all the winners. An NFT award is a digitally and publicly available ‘proof of merit’, which will remain in existence for ever. You can add it to your digital portfolio or CV. It is a first step to building up your professional identity in the Metaverse”, Isabel Van den Broeck, Managing Director Creative Belgium, explained. “Being a true OG, Creative Belgium strives to be in the vanguard of the metalverse and give winners the opportunity to also be part of the ownership generation and our close-knit community. Because, in addition to being a form of recognition, NFTs also represent a particularly effective means of communication with the winners.”

NFTs make scams impossible: for each winner Creative Belgium creates a digital portfolio and track record of skills and prizes. This provides a solution for the rising demand for authenticity in a world in which a digital identity and presence are becoming increasingly important.

Credits for creative minds

The most creative agencies of the year will be recognized with a president’s award, grand prix for good, grand prix, gold, silver or bronze.

Creative Belgium is using NFTs not for commercial purposes, but to recognize people and build up a community, and consequently focuses on the meritverse, a decentralized professional network that provides people with an on-chain professional identity, demonstrates and promotes their talents in a controllable manner so that they can support each other in their quest for success.

As part of the activities of Creative Belgium NFTs provide absolute value. They create scope for the individuals behind the work and make professional performance more visible. You are recognized, acknowledged and valued. Previously only agencies were awarded with a CB statue. Starting this year all the winners will be given an award. This amounts to approximately 1200 NFTs for the 120 ideas that will be lauded in Knokke.

“NFTs also create a bridge to the real world. We use the NFTs to give winners access to events and in 2023 it will be possible to link them to membership of CB”, Isabel Van den Broeck added. “The potential of NFTs goes far beyond the mere financial, something I find particularly exciting. We are building a community and using this approach to give so many people in our field the recognition they deserve.”

This year Creative Belgium is awarding NFTs to the most creative minds in the sector in order to acclaim the faces behind the work: the fearless advertisers, the courage of creative minds, the craftsmanship of producers, the insights of strategists, etc.

And the award goes to

The festive evening will be initiated with a snack and a drink, followed by the iconic Awards show, where you will be able to view the digital gallery via a VR experience. Creative Belgium will create a personalized oncyber metaverse for each winning agency. Approximately 20 oncyber trophy rooms will be decorated with the CB Awards the agency has won this year. An ideal opportunity for the agency to show off its credentials to (potential) clients. Winners will be able to claim their NFTs immediately after the award ceremony. 

About Creative Belgium

Creative Belgium exists to promote, encourage and celebrate creative excellence for brands and businesses. Creative Belgium welcomes everyone who believes in creative excellence for brands and companies. We believe in ‘creativity for everyone’, which is why we’re committed to shaping a happy, diverse, inclusive and equal industry. 

Our organisation unites and inspires creative thinkers representing all the roles involved in the creation of communication: copywriters, art director, photographers, directors, strategists, web designers, producers, students, teachers,... Creative Belgium is a non-profit organisation, led by an elected board and the daily management team. Any surpluses from the awards will be invested to support and nurture the next generation of creative talent.

About OG Studio

OG Studio is a fully fledged, audacious Web3 studio. Built by crypto natives, for the ownership generation. Web3 aims to make digital ownership accessible to all. OG Studio firmly believes that the world will be a better place when everyone acquires digital ownership of their own business, identity, reputation, data, assets and their digital presence in general.

OG not only stands for Original Gangster, because we are at the forefront of the Web3 environment, but also refers to 'the Ownership Generation'. It doesn’t just embrace OG Studio itself, but also the creation of a new generation taking ownership of their digital self. We can all become an OG. OG Studio’s mission focuses on giving the people and businesses they work with, meet, encounter and converse with, the opportunity to join the ownership generation. The larger the ownership generation the better the world we are creating will be.

That is why OG Studio is particularly pleased that Creative Belgium has taken the bold step to become an OG and is now a proud new member of the 'Ownership Generation'.

Contact

Creative Belgium
​Isabel Van den Broeck
​Managing Director
​isabel@creativebelgium.be
​M +32 (0)476 31 30 34

MMBSY
​Lieselot Moerkerke
​PR Manager MMBSY
​lieselot@mmbsy.com
​M +32 (0)496 93 70 87