Give Your Brand a Second Life Online

Loft parties. Exclusive concert invitations. A guest starring gig in a music video.

Sound like Lindsay Lohan's latest adventure?

Everyone can experience the jet-set life now thanks to the current phenomenum, Second Life, a virtual world that's getting some serious buzz, including a front-page article in last week's Washington Post. And, as to be expected, brands are hopping on the online gravy train.

In Second Life, users create avatars (animated images) that experience everything the virtual world has to offer – like buying real estate, attending events and meeting new people. As the Post reports, savvy avatars can even record an experience on Second Life and turn it into a video that can be posted on video sites like YouTube.com.

The Post article covered a recent online event in which musician Suzanne Vega performed, virtually of course, to a group of 100 fans. Duran Duran is already planning a similar event.

But it's not just bands that are cashing in on the brand-boosting power of Second Life.

American Apparel recently set up a virtual store on Second Life, where people can spend real money to buy t-shirts for their avatars. Several other designers sell jeans, tattoos and even hairstyles within the world, says the Post.

Next month, Starwood Hotels takes the plunge and will open “a virtual loft-style hotel on Second Life where avatars can check in a year before the company builds the real thing in the real world.”

So how much does it cost to get your brand in on the action? Well, it's not cheap. Setting up a concert at a stadium, for example, can cost upwards of $10,000. But it may be worth exploring for the PR value alone.

Have you been on Second Life? Have you patronized a vendor there? Tell us about your experience.