Carrefour’s Fortnite world depicts the ecological supermarket of the future

French grocer Carrefour is the latest brand to infiltrate Epic Games’ Fortnite with its own experiential world, which envisions the green shopping experience of the future. Carrefour’s “Healthy Map” transports gamers to what the brand calls the “Carrefour of tomorrow”—a supermarket that is more ecological and responsible. At the in-game supermarket, players can interact with an electric recharging station, trucks running on biomethane, a responsible fishing zone and a farm where animal welfare is a priority. Through the activation, the brand makes a statement about the importance of healthy eating. Players in Fortnite usually pick up healing kits and potions to recharge their health in the actual game, but in Carrefour’s new simulated world, visitors can only do so by eating healthy (virtual) fruits, vegetables and fish. The supermarket is partnering with Fortnite creator Teeqzy, who has nearly 1.7 million subscribers on YouTubers and 700,000 followers on Twitch, to launch the program with a livestream at a Carrefour supermarket. Carrefour has also shared a trailer of the experience and the code Fortnite players need to access the map on YouTube. “The Healthy Map” was created through Fortnite’s creative mode, which allows players to create their own worlds in the form of “maps” outside of the game’s regular Battle Royale gameplay. To create the world, Carrefour called on in-game designer MakaMakes and his Beyond team. MakaMakes is an Epic Games partners known for Fortnite city builds inspired by pop culture and the creative force behind Verizon’s Fortnite 5G stadium during the Super Bowl. MakaMakes shares his creations on YouTube, where he has 121,000 subscribers. The brand also worked with Publicis Groupe’s Paris-based creative agency Publicis Conseil for the experience. A Carrefour representative says the effort is the retailer’s first foray into a gaming environment and the first time it is trying to target gamers. The 60-year-old company has recently undergone a three-year effort to become more tech-focused, building out its e-commerce services and developing more data solutions. Reaching new customers in new digital environments is part of the grocer’s efforts. Carrefour also sells gaming equipment at its 12,000 stores. There will be 3 billion gamers around the world in 2021, a 5.3% year-over-year increase, proving the gaming boom during the pandemic is lasting, according to a NewZoo study out yesterday. Fortnite, with more than 350 million accounts, has become a popular playground for brands looking to connect with gamers. This week, Fortnite collaborated with Marvel to create a Loki skin to play as the popular character from the Avengers world, timed to the new Loki series on Disney+. Last week, U.K. telecom provider O2 created a virtual interactive concert experience for its London-based entertainment venue The O2. On June 24, Leicester brand Easy Life performed while attendees visited six experiences based on the band’s six music tracks. It’s not the first time a brand has ventured into a virtual world to make a statement on environmental and food production issues in our real one. Last year, Hellmann’s created an island in Nintendo’s Animal Crossing to speak out about food waste, allowing gamers to donate spoiled fruits to fund actual meals.

Carrefour’s Fortnite world depicts the ecological supermarket of the future

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