WEB3/DEPT® Is Building the Next Generation of the Web

Global digital agency DEPT® has launched WEB3/DEPT® to support the fastest growing segment of its business. The 300-person team, which has been responsible for 5% of DEPT®’s revenue this year, will help clients experiment with blockchain technology, build immersive experiences in the metaverse and deliver multi-layer strategies for launching NFTs. 

“Web3 and the metaverse are the two transformational technological evolutions of the next decade,” said Isabel Perry, vice president at WEB3/DEPT®. “But it’s hard for CMOs and CIOs to figure out where to start. Over the last two years, we’ve helped so many brands to redefine the way they interact with their customers that we feel it’s time to combine all this expertise and knowledge under the WEB3/DEPT® banner.” 

The team has worked on over 60 Web3-focused projects, including industry firsts and award-winning work for brands like H&M, Tomorrowland, SPIN, Eurovision, Sprite (together with Marvel) and Dubai World Expo, as well as Web3 natives including HAPE, Circle, Dequency, Yuga Labs and Merit Circle. 

DEPT®’s Web3 experience is grounded in a heavy tech focus and dates back to 2015 when it helped build the first-ever crypto bank with Circle. Since then, the agency has built expertise in blockchain applications and marketplaces, including creating Algomart, the world’s first open source solution built on the sustainable Algorand blockchain for launching an NFT marketplace.

DEPT® is also responsible for a number of immersive experiences across the web, AR/VR/XR, gaming and the metaverse, including:

• A $100 million Metaverse R&D Hub in Melbourne for Thai media giant T&B Media Global as part of the company’s ambitious $420 million plan to develop Translucia - an immersive metaverse experience for global technology users.

• A unique Web3 experience for fashion brand H&Mbeyond which turned their showroom into an immersive, virtual experience. 

• The first online shop for digital NFT fashion for HYPEWEAR by ABOUT YOU. 

• The award-winning Cookie Monster AR game within the Sesame Street Yourself app where kids collect ingredients from around their physical environment to help Cookie Monster cook a batch of cookies.

• An interactive AI trading card experience for eBay at Comic-Con 2022. 

• The world’s first real-life gaming experience played out live on Twitch to create hype around the premiere of Amazon Prime Video’s WITHOUT REMORSE.

“Web3 feels a bit like mobile back in 2006 - still in its infancy but bound to be impactful for everyone, everywhere,” said Dimi Albers, CEO at DEPT®. “We want to lead the charge and help our clients navigate these transformational technologies for the next decade. We think the combination of our strong intellectual property, track record of delivering more than 60 web3 projects, and our diverse mix of engineers, creatives and strategies who ’get’ the web3 vision sets us apart, along with our ambitious R&D plans across EMEA, the US and Asia Pacific.”

WEB3/DEPT® will make it easier for clients to tap into the agency’s expertise in Web3 business transformation, blockchain technologies, immersive web experiences, AR, VR, gaming and the metaverse, as well as proprietary solutions for blockchain, webGL, pixel streaming and blockchain education. The team will also introduce a new Web3 Labs platform to help both clients and employees better understand web3 fundamentals, including the difference between crypto coins and crypto tech, why decentralised tech is here to stay, and primers on wallets, NFTs, DAOs, marketplaces, stablecoins, etc.