While it might have closed the curtains on its Web3-specific team, Snapchat continues to work on related initiatives and has even recently announced a new collaboration with musician J Balvin on its first ever ‘Bitmoji Drop’ of limited edition digital Air Jordan 2 Balvin sneakers.
Drop Those Bits!
This new drop will enable Snap users to pick up a pair of these beauts’ for their Bitmoji characters, albeit for a limited time. This marks another development in Snap’s evolving digital identity push.
As Snap explains:
“The digital version of the AJ2 Balvin is available exclusively to Jordan fans via Snapchat before the physical items are available on September 15th. The sought-after shoe will only be available for a limited time on the app, and can only be secured and saved until September 14th at 11:59 p.m. PST. Snapchatters who cop the Drop within the limited time frame can sport the sneaker on their Bitmoji in style, indefinitely.”
The major downside is that if you don’t claim the digital item within the specified timeframe, you’ll never be able to get them, with Snap eventually retiring the items, adding to their air of exclusivity and ‘limitedness’. While not as evolved as some of the other digital avatar options, Snap’s Bitmojis are hugely popular and could become a key channel for Snap to move into more advanced AR and Metaverse experiences.
Along those lines, Snap has been working on various digital clothing partnerships, designed to aid users create more customized and personalized Bitmoji characters, which they can also use across all the other digital settings.
Here, Snap’s broader plan, based on a previously filed patent, is to build a Bitmoji fashion store, where users would be able to buy digital versions of almost any real-world fashion item. Snap and partner retailers then take their cuts. Exclusive drops could be another element that ushers the new phase of digital commerce into the app. At the same time, it could also serve to make users more invested in their Bitmojis selves.
The Wrap
Again, while Bitmojis may not look as advanced as some of the other digital character models, if Snap can start building on its Bitmoji options and enhance that user connection to their characters, then it could end up being a key connective platform.
This partially helps explain why ‘Bitmoji Drops’ is an interesting concept and also serves as a unique testing ground for Snap to measure potential demands for more exclusive items for Bitmoji characters. This all boils down to likely more buying and selling, either by Snap or possibly by users who are able to pick up its exclusive items.
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