John Legend Named Neopets Brand Ambassador
Even when I lose, I'm winning
Published Jul 25, 2023
Last week, Neopets — the virtual pet website that launched all the way back in 1999 — announced an impending "new era" for the game, which has messily ventured into NFTs and the metaverse in more recent years.If Taylor Swift has taught us anything, a new era also means a style overhaul. Although the characteristic Neopets design remains delightfully early-2000s-core, the website's rebrand wouldn't be complete without a brand ambassador — and they landed on a literal Legend.
EGOT-winner John Legend's next quest is, naturally, helping Neopets launch itself as an independent company, with a revamped homepage and fixed-up versions of the Adobe Flash games many grew up playing, as The Verge reports.
The multi-hyphenate shared the news on Twitter with a vaguely uncomfortable little video announcement that feels kind of like a Cameo greeting he wasn't getting paid enough for.
"It's a classic pet game, and it's long been a favourite in our house," Legend said in the clip, "and I can't wait to share the joy and nostalgia with all of you."
Excited to announce that I'm the new brand ambassador for @Neopets! My family and I have been long time fans of the game, and I can't wait for you to experience it too. Looking forward to more adventures together! pic.twitter.com/c7umXvzjZ0
— John Legend (@johnlegend) July 22, 2023
As pointed out by Stereogum, at least one pop culture scholar on TikTok has noted the fact that Legend's very-online wife, Chrissy Teigen, has famously been a huge Neopets fan. Neopian fun is a family affair, after all!
Legend released his eighth studio album, LEGEND, in 2022, and recently guested on Rufus Wainwright's Folkocracy.