Andrew Yang Turns Himself Into An Avatar And Campaigns In The Metaverse - Forbes

Andrew Yang campaigning in the metaverse.

ZEPETO

Video games, VR, AR, and the metaverse aren't just for gamers and fashionistas. Politicians are going virtual too. In 2020, the Biden Harris campaign launched a map in Fortnite. Also in 2020, US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went on a virtual tour in the game Animal Crossing. Now, Andrew Yang is using the metaverse to campaign for mayor of New York.

Andrew Yang, a front-runner in the New York City Democratic mayoral race, incorporated immersive technology and the metaverse in his first metaverse press conference on June 10. He's doing it on one of the fastest-growing metaverse platforms, ZEPETO. Andrew Yang engaged with his audience as an avatar.

Andrew Yang in a virtual Times Square

ZEPETO

In ZEPETO users can create avatars that look like themselves via photos, a selfie, or their own creation. Once their avatar is created, users can explore a virtual world, play games, and even create custom items through the ZEPETO Studio. 

"We were excited to hear that Andrew's campaign was interested in the metaverse," said Rudy Lee, Chief Strategy Officer at NaverZ (ZEPETO).

What makes ZEPETO an interesting platform to choose is its users. About 90% of ZEPETO's users are Gen-Z. Generation-Z are currently between the ages of 8 and 23 and they made up up one-tenth of the electorate in 2020. They also spend time with their friends online, in games like Fortnite. 

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During the event Yang was asked to share his thoughts on the creator economy and his thoughts on how young people and small businesses could potentially earn more money or create revenue for the city in the metaverse.

Yang answered, "I'm a big fan of virtual economies. I think it can be a path forward for a lot of New Yorkers and young people. New York City should be the creative capital of the world and it's going to be people like Rudy and folks in the cryptocurrency community that I think are a big part of it."

Campaigning In The Metaverse

While not many politicians are using gaming as a strategy to reach voters, some of them will start looking to enter these virtual spaces to engage with young voters.

Politicians, like Yang, who meet up and coming generations where they're most comfortable may be playing the long game. The future is going digital, especially since the 2020 global pandemic. Lockdowns and school closures made online games like Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft an essential outlet for those in the younger generation to be with friends, express themselves, and digitally leave the house. 

People join platforms like ZEPETO to socialize, be entertained, and consume content. They wear digital clothes from brands like Nike and Gucci. Why not also meet a potential mayor or presidential candidate? 

How you act in the metaverse says just as much about you as in real life. This way, candidates can meet more diverse people. Plus, being an avatar, for the candidate, has the added benefit of not worrying about one's physical safety. For users, their avatar might let them ask questions they might not feel comfortable doing in a real-life town hall. 

Even if Yang isn't elected as Mayor of New York, he will have entered the minds of America's youngest voters. Ones who are more likely to remember the candidate they met in the metaverse than one on cable news. Campaigning in video games isn't all fun and games. It could be a strategy to build a solid following and get the votes of the younger generation.