The European Union set up an “online rave” in order to connect with young people. Well, it turned out to be an absolute flop. As a matter of fact, only six people showed up to the EU metaverse party. On top of that, the “event” cost the European Commission’s foreign aid department €387,000 to develop and promote the online space, which aimed to educate people about their Global Gateway investment plan, according to Devex reporting.
The event, which featured its own virtual DJ playing techno music on repeat, was aimed at targeting ‘ “non-politically engaged 18-35-year-olds” who are active on TikTok and Instagram in an attempt to “increase awareness of what the EU does on the world stage”. Despite the worryingly low-interest levels in the promotion of the metaverse party, the event itself still managed to underperform vastly, attracting just six people in total. Vince Chadwick, the Devex reporter who attended the event, posted online about it.
“I’m here at the ‘gala’ concert in the EU foreign aid dept’s €387k metaverse. After initial bemused chats with the roughly five other humans who showed up, I am alone,” he continued.
Following the flop, officials from the EU’s External Action Service now face a grilling from diplomats on their ‘communication strategy’ during a private meeting in Brussels next week. According to Devex, a source from within the European Commission called the metaverse party “digital garbage”, with another claiming the event was “depressing and embarrassing”. Obviously, there should not be any more of these in the future.
Stay tuned for more news!
