Virtual Access to the World’s Most Exclusive Cards.
Services
- Breakthrough Experiential
Outputs
- Visual Identity
- Brand Event Activation
- Social Spaces
The Idea
Sports and collectible trading cards can be worth hundreds, thousands, and even millions of dollars. And the tiniest bit of damage can wipe out their worth. So eBay created the Vault, a climate-controlled, physical storage facility protected by 24-hour security to safely buy, sell, trade and store your trading cards. The challenge: Convince people to trust their most prized possessions…in a vault into which they’ll never set foot in. The Answer: Bring it to them. Introducing the Vault Trials. An immersive manifestation of the eBay Vault, transporting players into the future of the hobby they love.
To enhance the experience, we ensured the presence of several in-person experts who were readily available to evaluate fans' cards and provide assistance in submitting them directly from the event. The eBay Vault Trials, seamlessly integrated into the events, allowed collectors to test their knowledge of the hobby and compete with fellow attendees. It was a collaborative effort among our agency, eBay and production partners like X Studios and VTProDesign to bring this exciting and interactive dimension to the trading card collector community.
The Space
We created an immersive experience for Mint Collective and The National, two of the nation's most significant trading card collector events. The booths featured multiple gameplay stations, each equipped with its own Meta Quest Pro. This towering monolith display not only showcased collectors' live scores but also boasted a special 'Looking Glass' augmented reality screen, offering holographic displays of high-value vaulted cards. These elements were meticulously integrated to transport users into the eBay Vault right from the show floor.
The Tech
Through the development of our photogrammetry pipeline, we successfully scanned 60+ high-value cards worth more than $1.5 million into the VR experience-taking upwards of 30+ photos from every angle to successfully transfer all the crucial details into virtual reality. Elements such as specular patterns, holographic reflections, and the card’s condition play a vital role in determining the piece's real-world value, particularly for collectors. Therefore, we ensured that collectors could meticulously examine every detail they would typically scrutinize in real life, now within the virtual environment.
Game 1 - Pin the Price
In this game, Players have to use their market analysis skills and knowledge to determine the current value of a card from the Vault. Collectors also learned how to use the eBay Price Guide as it gave them hints of previous market values of the card over the past year.
Game 2 - Snap-Back
The best collectors know all the details. During this game, players are tasked with memorizing a card, and piecing it back together. By determining which minute details are authentic they got to experience the scrutiny cards are put through in the vault by eBay’s Authenticators.
Game 3 - Prized Possessions
Players have to build the highest-value collection by selecting their top five picks from a conveyor belt of cards directly from the Vault. This game showcases the breadth and depth of inventory within the eBay Vault and inspires hobbyists to expand their collections.
The Amplification:
To amplify the Vault Trials, we teamed up with Cassius Marsh, Joy Taylor, Bryan Friedman, and more—some of the biggest names in collecting, boasting a combined social following of more than 3 million. Across Instagram and TikTok, we activated more than 50 assets, inviting collectors to showcase their mastery in the Vault Trials. On-site, creators battled to climb the leaderboard, spurring others at the convention to take on the challenge and surpass their scores.
Thanks For Playing:
The activation exceeded expectations with 1,900 cards valued at $25 million submitted within the first five days – 88% surpassing the set goal. The experience was a beacon of the events, both online and in Social, amassing 49.3 million impressions and 17.3 million engagements. Notably, there was a significant 4.1 points lift in ad recall for the eBay Vault, showcasing its resounding success in captivating audiences and fostering engagement within the card-collecting community.
Total Impressions
.M
Total Engagements
.M
Ad Recall of The eBay Vault
. pts Lift