A Pest Control Company Made a VR Game, and I Think It's Pretty Smart

A pest control company entering the metaverse - that's something you don't see every day.

Earth Pharmaceutical didn't just slap together a virtual booth and call it a day. They made an actual playable VR game - from July 11th to 26th at Vket (Virtual Market 2026 Summer), you can experience a "pest extermination game."

The game's pretty straightforward: in a virtual house, you use Earth Pharmaceutical's 『Gokijet Pro』 to spray cockroaches (called "G monsters" in the game), use 『Dani Earth Spray』 for mites ("D monsters"), and there's a "D scanner" that makes invisible mites visible. If you're afraid of bugs, you can turn on "Safety Mode" which tones down the bug visuals.

Why do I think this is smart?

Traditional pest control ads basically follow one pattern: "Summer's here, bugs are out, buy our product." Nothing wrong with that, but after seeing enough of them, you develop immunity.

Earth Pharmaceutical tried something different this time - they're not selling a product, they're selling an experience.

In VR, you actually get to "see a cockroach and spray it," use a scanner to find mites, and finally set up preventive devices. After playing through, you remember three key pieces of information:

• Cockroaches can squeeze through gaps as small as 3mm
• Mites are in your home year-round
• Different bugs require different treatment methods

This kind of immersive learning works better than watching a hundred ads.

They've also got a virtual-physical combo: fill out a survey to get a sprayable 3D 『Gokijet Pro』 model (spray away in VR), post screenshots on social media with a hashtag for a chance to win real product sets. From virtual experience to 3D souvenir to real product - the path is clear.

Too many companies these days treat "going metaverse" as a KPI - build a virtual booth, hang up a logo, call it done. But users won't buy it just because there's a virtual booth.

The key to Earth Pharmaceutical's move is that they didn't treat the metaverse as the goal, but as a means - a channel to tell stories traditional channels can't tell.

VR as an immersive medium is particularly suited for "experiential marketing" - especially for products like pest control that you wouldn't normally want to "experience," but in VR it's actually kind of fun.

Can this be replicated? I think there are a few conditions:

1. Product fit - pest control and extermination naturally have "gamification" potential
2. Educational value - many consumers really don't know proper pest prevention methods
3. Virtual-physical integration - clear path from VR experience to real product

Not every product works this way, but if your product needs users to "understand" certain information, can be designed into engaging interactive experiences, and has a clear conversion path from virtual to physical, then Earth Pharmaceutical's approach is worth studying.

New technology itself isn't worth much - being able to solve problems is what counts. Earth Pharmaceutical used the metaverse to tell a story traditional channels couldn't tell - the idea of "using the metaverse to sell pest control" has real value.

It proves that the metaverse isn't just about NFTs, virtual land, digital fashion - it can be grounded, relevant to daily life, and even help you solve your bug problems at home.

What metaverse marketing cases have left an impression on you? I'd love to discuss in the comments.

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