8 April 2021, Singapore – Media Publishares, publishers of Vogue, Esquire, Robb Report and Buro in Singapore is announcing a partnership with Vidy to launch and develop an NFT platform catering to the fashion, arts and music industry.
Founded by Singaporean tech-entrepreneur Matthew Lim and Harvard University alumni Patrick Colangelo, Vidy is a blockchain-powered digital advertising tool that rewards viewers with its native cryptocurrency, VidyCoin. Having implemented Vidy’s technology across Media Publishares’ titles, the partnership between the two companies has grown organically, given their shared “digital first” approach and innovative thinking.
The nonfungible platform, slated to launch in Q3 of 2021, celebrates art and culture within a 360-degree navigable virtual environment showcasing digital fashion, art, music and design. Key features of the platform include minting, trading and auctioning of NFTs through a tokenized system, along with the ability to host social interactions.
Focused on building virtual creativity as a skill set while promoting sustainable consumption, the platform will donate a percentage of NFT sales toward organizations tackling real-world problems to ensure a positive connection between the virtual and physical worlds.
“The NFT market grew over 229% since 2020 to reach over $500 million. However, it’s still in early stages and has a long way to go with regards to infrastructure development. With the metaverse and rise of digital models, people will be able to live in a parallel virtual world where they can own a digital identity and purchase items not just in a digital file but as any unique asset in their virtual land, similar to their physical world,” said Lim.
“For this new NFT platform, Vidy will lead the technology and blockchain development, given our unique experience in dealing with traditional businesses and crypto. We are confident we will create the finest platform that will boost the NFT world by allowing seamless participation from the traditional fashion, art and music communities.”
The NFT platform will target a digitally savvy audience looking for luxury items with low environmental impact while also engaging creators exploring a virtual identity for their designs and new revenue streams for their craft.
“Media Publishares has always been ahead of the curve with its innovative approach to storytelling as lead by our anchor titles Vogue, Esquire, Robb Report and Buro Singapore,” said Michael von Schlippe, president of Media Publishares. “What we see is a new creative renaissance where creativity and technology are driving change together. By creating an NFT platform, which essentially acts as a virtual marketplace between creatives and users, it allows us to provide a unique shoppable platform coupled with content for the community in the form of education, interaction and entertainment,” added von Schlippe.
Titles under Media Publishares have gained global recognition for their approach to content creation. Notable projects include Esquire Singapore’s “Artificial Intelligence Issue” that won Gold at the Native Advertising Awards in Berlin and Vogue Singapore’s digital-only launch in August 2020 with a 360-degree microsite “Vogue Studio,” among others.
About Vidy
Established in 2016, Vidy is a San Francisco-based video web tech startup founded by Harvard Undergrad Patrick Colangelo and former Credit Suisse Investment banker Matthew Lim. In 2018, Vidy started to incorporate blockchain technology into its product to allow a decentralized reward economy to exist seamlessly across its publishing partners. Today, Vidy’s technology is used by over 70 global media publishers, such as CNN Indonesia, CNBC Indonesia, Vogue Singapore, Esquire Singapore, among many others, with over 10 billion monthly page views of inventory, and a monthly user exposure of over 150 million. Vidy has two native cryptocurrency tokens — VIDY and VIDYX — both of which are integral to the Vidy Rewarding, e-commerce and NFT ecosystem.
For more information on Vidy, please visit www.vidy.com.
About Media Publishares
Media Publishares is a dynamic media company that specializes in impactful storytelling characterized by creativity, captivating visuals and the engagement of innovative technology. Headquartered in Singapore, Media Publishares, previously Indochine Media, has over 10 years of experience in digital communication, luxury print publishing and events across Southeast Asia. A full-service publisher with over 80 employees in the region — from editorial and events to video and design production — Media Publishares operates in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines and is continuously expanding its portfolio to further strengthen its presence in the publishing industry.
Anchor brands currently include Buro, Esquire, Robb Report, Luxury Guide and Vogue Singapore. For more information on Media Publishares, please visit www.mediapublishares.com.sg.