Adidas dives into the Metaverse with AI created avatars and banging sneakers
The metaverse presents an $8 Trillion opportunity and companies are experimenting with a trend that could dominate future commerce and entertainment ...
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2022) 'Adidas dives into the Metaverse with AI created avatars and banging sneakers', 311 Institute, 13 April. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/adidas-dives-into-the-metaverse-with-ai-created-avatars-and-banging-sneakers/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Nike has been messing around in the metaverse for a while now, and over 7 million people have visited its metaverse store, so naturally Adidas also wants in. So, to promote the arrival of its latest Ozworld collection, Adidas Originals is launching what is pitched as “the world's first personality-based AI generated avatar creation platform” with Ready Player Me.
Users can design an avatar - which one day could be its own virtual being - through the online Ozworld experience and use it throughout over 1,500 metaverse apps and games, letting them explore virtual worlds with a consistent identity.
According to an online post, the experience “champions the essence of individual personalities rather than physical appearances by prompting users to answer a series of questions, including picking their favourite Ozworld footwear silhouette, in order to learn more about who they are.
Meet Ozworld
“Once this information has been shared, the platform will translate the input into a unique digital avatar that takes aesthetic inspiration from the collection’s dynamic visual codes,” says the post, adding, “Having generated their characters, users can experiment by animating their avatars, as well as digitally trying on and purchasing sneakers from the collection. Meanwhile, every user will be able to download their Ozworld alter ego to deploy as stickers and GIFs across their social media accounts.”
The Ready Player Me tie up, it claims, is “the first brand partnership that pushes the limits of the platform, offering interoperability in generative avatars with over 1,500 different metaverse apps and games.”
It concludes: “Championing new possibilities to create, collaborate, and belong, the Ozworld platform launch is the next bold step in Adidas Originals’ ambition to create a truly open and optimistic metaverse for all.”
“As a leading voice for original thinking, the brand is opening up a unique new space for self-expression that is accessible and affordable for all.”
The experience launches to the public here on 16th April.
Meanwhile, adiClub members and adidas NFT holders will be granted early access via a unique URL, with the first instalment of avatars arriving on 28th April.
What this means for your organisation
Identity becomes the product.
Users answer questions about who they are, including their favourite Ozworld footwear silhouette. The platform turns those answers into a unique avatar. Personality, not physical appearance, drives the design.
Portable avatars reach more places.
The avatar works across over 1,500 metaverse apps and games, so one identity travels with the user. Users can also try on and buy sneakers from the collection, and share their alter ego as stickers and GIFs. Avatars are rated Explore, with wide use by 2034.
Test small and time it well.
The source calls the metaverse an $8 Trillion opportunity, and Nike's metaverse store has drawn over 7 million visitors. 311 rates the metaverse as Explore, with wide use around 2035. Social commerce is rated Prepare, with wide use by 2028, so link any pilot to buying inside social channels.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Could a personality-based avatar express our brand better than a logo?
- Which virtual worlds and apps would our customers actually carry an identity into?
- What small test could we run before wide use arrives around 2035?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
The metaverse presents an $8 Trillion opportunity and companies are experimenting with a trend that could dominate future commerce and entertainment ...
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on virtual worlds and the future of your organisation.
Sources and further reading
- Ready Player Me readyplayer.me
- here ozworld.adidas.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 13 April 2022. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2022). Adidas dives into the Metaverse with AI created avatars and banging sneakers. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/adidas-dives-into-the-metaverse-with-ai-created-avatars-and-banging-sneakers/
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