Klarna is continuing to redefine shopping and deliver unexpected, deeply engaging experiences for consumers in the next phase of its ‘Swedish for smooother shopping’ shoppable entertainment campaign. This time Klarna is bringing smooooth shopping to 2020’s most hyped game – Animal Crossing. We’ve teamed up with DJ and designer Micah Mahinay and Animal Crossing fashion pioneer Kara Chung to host a virtual pop-up shop on Mahinay’s Animal Crossing island, bringing some of this season’s hottest streetwear designs to the platform.
From Marine Serre and Fenty to Raf Simons and Marques Almeida, the limited-time virtual Klarna pop-up will feature fashions curated by Mahinay and recreated in-game by Chung. The event brings Klarna’s commitment to elevated shopping experiences to a new virtual setting, and gives players a chance to add coveted designers pieces to their Animal Crossing wardrobe. A lucky few will also win items from the in-game pop-up to wear in real life.
The in-game pop-up will launch on Monday August 17 at 10pm ET. Mahinay will be sharing island access details via Instagram on launch day and will also livestream the hour-long experience on Twitch.
As a first step in the Klarna collaboration, Mahinay curated a wish list of her must-have streetwear items in the Klarna app.
“My personal style heavily influenced my wish list selection, as did my desire to feature some of my favorite black designers and see them in game life form,” Mahinay said of her curation process.
Next, visual artist, photographer and musician Chung – the design talent behind Animal Crossing’s first-ever fashion runway show and the popular Animal Crossing Fashion Archive Instagram account – recreated Mahinay’s selections in-game. Chung and Mahinay then worked closely with the Klarna team to design the virtual pop-up store, bringing Klarna’s unique aesthetic, trademark pink, and Swedish origins to the in-game space.
“Working with Klarna and Micah on this project was exciting given that I found something in common with another player across the globe. I was excited to know that Micah and I both recreated the same fast food chain (Jollibee) on our islands during our first conversation,” Chung said of the experience. “I love that the game lets us translate cues from real graphics and art, and gives users ways to make cheeky tributes.”
Tune in to Twitch on Monday to share the in-game experience and download the Klarna app to explore Micah’s full wish list, or to create and share your own.