Second Life shoots, scores
The NBA has opened a fun-and-games destination in Second Life, and brought corporate sponsors like T-Mobile, Toyota, and Cisco Systems along for the ride.
SL avatars can visit the space, called NBA Headquarters, and participate in half-court shooting contests, move up close with the NBA trophy, and watch video clips of real life NBA content.
According to David Stern, the NBA commissioner, the association's SL venture is part of a larger strategy to use social media to engage with fans. In a conference call, also broadcast in SL, Stern said: "This is an area we find to be very exciting. It's causing us to rethink overall the concept of how our fans consume NBA content."
Separately, supermarket expert Phil Lempert and Kraft Foods will unveil Phil's Supermarket--a virtual supermarket that will exist only in SL--at the Food Marketing Institute show this weekend. Kraft Foods will showcase 70 new products in SL for attendees both in RL (real life) and SL to engage in virtually. Phil's Supermarket will live on after the show--and surely pique the interest of researchers wanted to view how a SL consumer shops as an extension of RL. The open architecture of SL, and the capabilities added for the supermarket site, will also allow retailers and manufacturers to upload images of their RL products for display (at no charge, at least initially) on Phil's SL shelves. The visitor will also encounter coupons, food tips, and in-store display and video ads, just like a RL supermarket visit.
