Elvis left the building… only to enter the metaverse. An attempt to set a Guinness World Record (GWR) for the most Elvis impersonators in one spot will be taking place in Decentraland’s virtual world in February.

The attempt is being organised by metaverse design firm Run It Wild, which has partnered with Elvis Presley Enterprises as part of a broader “Elvis-on-Chain” strategy and NFT (non-fungible token) drop.

The Elvis Block Party, as it’s officially called, will attempt to set the record for the highest number of gathered Elvis impersonators and break an existing GWR record of 895 Elvis impersonators set in Cherokee, North Carolina in 2014.

 

Suspicious minds: do avatars really qualify for this record?

In case you’re wondering, yes, digital avatars representing real users will actually be officially approved by Guinness World Records for the attempt.

“There are very strict guidelines set by Guinness World Records,” Adam De Cata, Run It Wild director and head of partnerships at Decentraland, told Stockhead in an interview.

“An official GWR adjudicator will attend and announce the record against key guidelines set for the world first. The beauty of Web3 is that it will be traceable on-chain,” added De Cata.

And it seems fans of “The King of Rock’n’Roll” are down with the idea. “Feedback from Elvis fan clubs has been positive to date,” confirmed De Cata. “We expect this to appeal to Elvis fans, crypto collectors and hopefully new collectors, too.”

A series of Elvis silhouettes have been reimagined as part of the Elvis-on-Chain project (Image: supplied)

 

What to expect at the Elvis Block Party, and beyond

According to a press release shared with Stockhead, the event will welcome Elvis fans from around the world to celebrate the rock’n’roll legend’s music, dance moves, outfits, cars, films and enduring legacy.

Attendees of the party held in Decentraland (token ticker: MANA) – which is the first ever metaversal world owned by its users – will be airdropped wearables of an Elvis jumpsuit and wig to qualify as a participant.

And the event is just the first step in the Elvis-On-Chain rollout, which Elvis Presley Enterprises says will give fans access to the famed singer’s IP vault through “Elvis Genesis Key” NFTs.

There will only be 1935 (the year Elvis was born) of these NFTs created, and holders will apparently have the chance to vote on future releases from the vault and shape the direction Elvis is taken on the blockchain.

According to Elvis Presley Enterprises, the vault itself contains various “never before seen” memorabilia and artefacts ranging from outfits, recordings, cars and jewelry to digital artworks.”

“These NFTs open up many new ways for superfans to come together on a deeper level,” said De Cata. “Voting on the future of Elvis’ vault effectively puts the power back in fans’ hands and creates a more intimate fan club experience on-chain.”

The NFT images themselves have apparently been inspired by the glimmering lights of “ELVIS”, made famous in Presley’s 1968 Comeback Special in Burbank, California.

And a portion of the funds raised from the NFT drop will be used to buy Elvis memorabilia (to be displayed in physical and virtual galleries) that will be authenticated on the blockchain.

 

What would ‘the King’ make of all this?

So what would Elvis think of all this crypto stuff? Would he wonder if we’re in a (teddy) bear market… would he be pondering if it’s now or never for NFTs?

“Elvis wasn’t afraid to lean into tech-firsts that were met with initial scepticism,” De Cata told Stockhead via email. “[He made] the first-ever live TV appearance of a musician, dancing on screen in 1956, [and was] the first of his era to own a remote-control TV, cellphones in his car, the first electronic wrist watch.”

“We think Elvis would be a Web3 guy,” said Katie Jones, Senior Vice President of Entertainment at Authentic Brands Group (ABG), which owns Elvis Presley Enterprises.

It’s “a [new] chapter in the Elvis story that has yet to be penned because the rule book of Web3 is yet to be written,” added Jones.

And what about the big man’s famed Memphis home, Graceland… will fans get to wander round a virtual version of that in Decentraland any time soon? Will we see weddings performed virtually by Elvis impersonators?

“We have a brave client in ABG, keen to push the boundaries of Web3, so nothing is off the table,” said De Cata.

The GWR Elvis Block Party Decentraland event will be held towards the end of February and can be accessed through Decentraland’s events page, here.

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