Seaport Scavenger Hunt: A Digital Quest in the Heart of New York
Dive into the Seaport Scavenger Hunt in Manhattan's storied harbor district, melding tangible challenges with rewards rooted in blockchain.
The event is jointly organized by the real estate company Howard Hughes Corp and the crypto project MoonPay. It runs until October 31st and presents an exciting opportunity for locals, visitors, and international tourists to discover ten purple “pearls” hidden throughout a designated district in New York. Each pearl contains a distinct QR code that, upon scanning, rewards the finder with an NFT on the Polygon network, accessible via the MoonPay crypto wallet.
These non-fungible tokens, representing artful depictions of New York's most iconic landmarks, were specially crafted for this event by the celebrated 3D artist, Johana Kroft. Those who manage to collect the entire set not only earn these distinct tokens but also become eligible for weekly draws. The prizes include VIP concert tickets, luxury hotel stays, and exclusive gift hampers from local businesses. Moreover, participants can boost their winning odds by scanning the spheres daily.
Seaport Scavenger Hunt NFT. Source: OpenSea's official website.
Companies benefit from this initiative by collecting data like participants' origins, email addresses, and movement patterns, and introducing them to local businesses. These anonymized profiles might later drive New York businesses' ad campaigns, especially those that have a subtle presence in the digital quest. Some spheres are even placed within or near local restaurants and shops. To boost the event's profile, organizers collaborated with the Web3 agency Gasoline and Howard Hughes's creative studio.
The Seaport is not only an iconic location but also a historical beacon of innovation. It provides the ideal canvas to integrate Web3 technologies seamlessly for millions of locals and travelers — enhancing their visit and engaging them in all that the Seaport offers,© Ivan Soto-Wright, CEO at MoonPay.
In promoting the digital quest, marketers purposefully sidestepped buzzwords like cryptocurrencies, decentralized wallets, and NFTs, and even avoided naming their sponsor, MoonPay. The intent was to appeal to a broader audience, possibly unfamiliar with or wary of digital assets. There were initial technical snags experienced by users, but they were quickly fixed, and the quest went on.
