The Gucci app tells the story of the fashion house in 8-bit arcade form

New Gucci games on the fashion house's app. Courtesy Gucci

It’s all fun and games at Gucci. Under the stewardship of artistic director Alessandro Michele, the brand’s idiosyncratic runway looks celebrate everything from Victorian glamour to 1970s rock ‘n’ roll; they offer a maximalist, kaleidoscopic take on granny chic; and promote an inclusiveness that is both fresh and fun.

Reiterating the brand's upbeat, offbeat, vintage-inspired approach is Gucci Arcade, a new section on the brand's app with games that feature "house characters". The games are inspired by those found in amusement arcades in the 1970s and 1980s – a high fashion take on Pac-Man, if you will.

Gucci Bee and Gucci Ace are both accessible from a map on the Gucci App, and are designed to tell the story of the house and its codes. Fashion-forward gamers are invited to collect various hidden badges that are grouped together by theme. Once collected, the badges can be placed in a special trophy showcase. If you're particularly happy with your performance and want to let your friends know, results and badges can be shared on all social networks and instant messaging platforms.  

The first to be launched, Gucci Bee centres on a motif that has long been found perched on the brand's clothes, shoes, belts and bags. Trapped in a maze, players must guide the Gucci bee through three levels of increasing difficulty, collecting badges and discovering special elements to score extra points.

The second game, Gucci Ace, is inspired by the idea of "revisiting the past, living in the present and looking to the future", as a way of exploring the history of the Gucci Ace sneaker. In this game, each of the three levels point to a specific era in gaming: the first level is dedicated to the 8-bit retro gaming of the past; the second is set in the present, the era of console gaming; while the final level looks to the future and focuses on mobile gaming.

It’s yet another example of Michele’s ability to blend the past and the present, harnessing new technologies to tell existing stories in unexpected ways.