https://www.rbr.com/?s=metaverse+iheartlandFor decades, radio stations have offered exclusive concert events for its listeners. But, in the digital age, iHeartMedia has taken that consumer lure one step further.
On Friday, June 9, the man responsible for the 2007 hip-hop and pop classic “Low” will host a special performance at State Farm Park for the nation’s single-largest owner of AMs and FMs. Only, the venue is not a stadium in Glendale, Ariz. — it’s in the metaverse.
Coming to iHeartLand is Flo Rida, and he will host a special six-song performance at 7pm Eastern that includes his newest single, “What A Night,” in what iHeartMedia calls “the premiere metaverse destination and always-on entertainment space.”
State Farm Park lives in Fortnite and on Roblox, and Flo Rida will be available to fans in iHeartLand through Sunday, June 11. In addition, the event will include new interactive features and experiences including “Flo Rida’s House,” available through June 11.
This iHeartLand In Fortnite feature is an Escape Room-style game where players will travel through Flo Rida’s game room, movie room and culminate in iHeartLand’s exclusive Fortnite backyard, a destination with a pool party feel that’s home to a photo station, outdoor stage and pool to collect gold and compete for the fastest time on the State Farm leaderboard. Players can send a screenshot with their time to @AtlasCreativeFN on Twitter to appear on the leaderboard and try to overtake Jake from State Farm’s high score.
There’s more in the metaverse for visitors to iHeartLand. For those using the “Radio Star Simulator” on Roblox, users can embark on a scavenger hunt in Flo Rida’s House, located in the State Farm Neighborhood. Moving through the movie room, jacuzzi room, music studio and outdoor pool users are asked to collect the letters F-L-O-R-I-D-A to earn daily rewards. Rewards will increase each day and will include a Flo Rida radio pet; Flo Rida hoverboard to ride around iHeartLand; an exclusive avatar accessory that users can wear throughout Roblox when the scavenger hunt is completed for seven days in a row; and exclusive gold and black Flo Rida oversized sunglasses. “Jake from State Farm” will be stationed outside of the house to host the scavenger hunt details and welcome users. Plus, Flo Rida’s single “What A Night” will be added to the simulator’s sound fields for users to find and collect.
For Flo Rida, call it a comeback attempt. His last hit single, “My House,” reached the Top 5 on Billboard in early 2016, ending eight years of chart success. Flo Rida’s most recent win could be more significant than a big single, however, In January, a Florida jury awarded the 43-year-old Miami Gardens native known as Tramar Lacel Dillard $82.6 million in a breach of contract suit tied to an endorsement deal with energy drink brand Celsius.
The venture into the metaverse for iHeartMedia and the creation of iHeartLand was first announced by the company in August 2022. Built using Fortnite’s Creative toolset, iHeartLand “combines compelling gameplay with a persistent cadence of entertaining events, programming and one-of-a-kind fan experiences.” For iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group CEO Conal Byrne, “Our goal is to meet audiences where they are – delivering innovative, incredible programming to constantly challenge ourselves to take entertainment to the next level. iHeartLand will feature a full calendar of music and podcast performances at State Farm Park that give fans a chance to play and interact with shows and artists in awesome new ways. From interactive performances and intimate backstories to immersive game play, native to the platform – this new world allows us to extend the reach of today’s biggest creators, artists and personalities in groundbreaking ways, and is a big next step for iHeartMedia in expanding our engagement with our users.”
To be clear, iHeartLand is an independently created experience in Fortnite and is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by Epic Games Inc. And, as iHeartMedia sees it, iHeartLand is the first metaverse destination “dedicated to bringing fans closer to today’s biggest stars through gameplay.”
The formal launch of iHeartLand saw global pop recording artist Charlie Puth participate in a concert within the VR platform.
And, for those who aren’t keen on the metaverse, the Flo Rida performance will air on iHeartMedia’s Contemporary Hit Radio stations and select Hot Adult Contemporary stations on Saturday, June 10 at 7pm local time.
Learn more about iHeartMedia in the metaverse by visiting the RBR+TVBR Archives.
