Levi's jeans and Nike sneakers are among the hottest items traded in a virtual world called There.com that went live this week that allows users to adopt fantasy identities. A $37 million Silicon Valley startup company called There has officially launched its There software application. Users enter a virtual world, or "metaverse," where they can network, hang out, dress up and take on different identities. Most interestingly for marketers, they can also buy and trade a host of goods. The firm is pitching its virtual universe as a branding vehicle, a market research tool and a means of pre- and post-testing brand attributes and real-world purchasing. There launched its beta-test form -- 27,000 users have already entered the There world -- in January, with Nike and Levi Strauss & Co. among marketers who partnered with the firm to see how their wares fared in a virtual marketplace. Both brands will continue their relationship with the site. Consumers who sign up for the software before Dec. 31 will get a 14-day free trial and an option to purchase a There membership for $19.95 annually or $4.95 per month. Five thousand paying members are already onboard following the beta testing. Hewlett-Packard Co. will pre-load There software onto its HP Media Center desktop consumer PCs beginning early in 2004, while Comcast Corp., the biggest U.S. cable provider, will offer and promote the application via comcast.com to its more than 10 million subscribers. Other distribution and marketing partners include 3D software providers ATI Technologies and Discreet, and multimedia accessories marketer Plantronics. There's strategy isn't a straight advertainment or product placement model, said Andrew Donkin, the firm's chief marketing officer. "We are attempting to figure out how to deliver positive brand attributes within a digital environment," he said. "We want to know how long people stay, who the leaders are in the community and who spends the most money." Source AdAge Via LucJam