HomeEquity Bank and Homes for Heroes build a Metaverse village to provide real veterans housing

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HomeEquity Bank, the provider of the CHIP Reverse Mortgage, have partnered with Homes For Heroes, a charitable organization that builds villages for veterans experiencing homelessness.

HomeEquity Bank has taken the plans for Homes For Heroes’ future build in Kingston, Ontario, and built a virtual version of the village within the Decentraland Metaverse platform. Visitors can explore the virtual Homes for Heroes village, and help “make it real” by donating funds that will be matched by HomeEquity Bank.

Canadians can go to MakeThisVillageReal.com to experience the virtual village, without downloading any software. Donors will also receive a wearable NFT for use in Decentraland.

The campaign, which runs in the Decentraland Metaverse from July 12 – August 12, aims to raise awareness of veteran homelessness in Canada, and to collect donations for the building of real-world veteran housing communities.

“It is important to engage with Canadians of all ages on the issue of veteran homelessness, which is why the Metaverse is such an effective platform for us,” says Vivianne Gauci, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Customer Experience for HomeEquity Bank. “We have seen the Metaverse emerge and grow as an influential cultural trend, and by creating a Homes for Heroes village in Decentraland, we can use this new technology to raise awareness and support for veterans through this unique campaign – not just on Remembrance Day, but year-round.”

“Veteran homelessness in Canada is a growing issue that demands our attention, with far too many veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces struggling to comfortably return to civilian life,” says David Howard, Co-Founder and CEO of Homes for Heroes. “The Metaverse represents a bold new way to spread awareness online to Canadians of all ages. This unique partnership with HomeEquity Bank will help us pursue our mission of providing vital housing and support for our veterans and empower them to live independently.”

“I think we have passed the moment in culture when doing anything in the Metaverse is inherently buzzworthy. We knew that we had to use the platform in an innovative way to capture people’s attention. And we knew our story had to be about people, not technology,” says Brian Murray, Executive Creative Director Zulu Alpha Kilo. “Not enough people have had the chance to see the great work that Homes for Heroes is doing. The Metaverse gives access to anyone in the world with an internet connection. It’s a powerful use of the platform.”

Zulu Alpha Kilo led the strategy and creative development, Weber Shandwick led PR, Metaverse Architects led the Decentraland build and iQuanti was behind the media buying.

Credits

Client: HomeEquity Bank

Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo

  • Chief Creative Officer: Zak Mroueh
  • Executive Creative Director: Brian Murray
  • CD/Art Director: Vic Bath
  • CD/Copywriter: Dan Cummings
  • Art Director: Erin Rodness
  • Designer: Jackman Chiu
  • Agency Producer: Ece Inan, Sarah Dayus
  • Account Team: David Tremblay, Lauren Boultwood, Samantha Tang
  • Planning Team: Maxine Thomas
  • Clients: Yvonne Ziomecki, Vivianne Gauci, Erin Wilson, Niary Toodakian and Jack Wilson
  • Homes for Heroes Partners: Jacqueline Howard, Cameron Diggon

Media Agency: iQuanti

  • Media Team: Kerstin Baker Ash, Tony Hooper, Maithili Bandishti

PR Agency: Weber Shandwick

  • PR Team: Riya Dhaliwal, Adam Bornstein, Michelle Zucchero

Production House: Zulubot

  • Director: Vic Bath, Dan Cummings
  • Production House Producer: Ben Bentivegna
  • Director of Photography: Adam Griffiths
  • Post Production Supervisor: Sarah Dayus

Editing Company: Zulubot

  • Editor: Mallory Robbins
  • Online: Felipe Chaparro
  • Colour Grading: Felipe Chaparro

Music By: Asche and Spencer Stock Library

Audio Engineer: Noah Mroueh

Digital Interactive Producer: Ece Inan

3D Architecture and Game Design House: Metaverse Architects

  • 3D Architecture Producer: Maggie Hill
  • Metaverse Architects: Sean Ellul, Andre Causon, Aaron Zarb