Adam Kovic is a creative director and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. He spent a decade producing video content and brand campaigns for companies mostly owned or devoured by WarnerMedia.
Two weeks ago I stumbled onto something called the VEKTA. It's a gamer mask. A muzzle, really. A soundproof cone of shame you strap to your face so you can scream slurs of encouragement at your teammates at 1am without your neighbors filing a noise complaint.
My first reaction was the same as yours: This can't be real.
But I couldn't shake it. Because underneath the Bane cosplay energy is a real problem, and I know it's real because I called the guy who's spent half a decade solving it. His name is Andrés. He's the CEO of Metadox, the small Austrian company behind the VEKTA, and he was generous enough to hop on a video call with some guy in Los Angeles whose entire pitch was "what is this thing."
Then, armed with little to no knowledge of wearable technology, comfort, or style, I built my own. This is the story of both masks. Theirs, and the mess currently sitting on my desk staring at me in disgust.
Where the muzzle came from
The VEKTA didn't come from a marketing meeting. It came from a competitive gamer who lived with his mother.
"There was this guy that was playing competitively. He was living with his mother in the apartment. So it was just impossible to train. It was a team, and they had the schedule, and he needed to play some special hours."
This wouldn't be the first time in history that someone's mother got in the way of greatness. I'm mostly thinking of that scene from Boogie Nights. I can't think of anything else right now.
Oh, also the reason Japan is their biggest market is exactly what you'd guess, but it's better if you hear someone else say it:
"They play a lot of video games, they don't have much space, and they are extremely respectful of each other. They don't want to disturb at all. Here in Europe, you don't care so much if your neighbor hears you."
So the product exists to solve a genuine cultural tension: how do you honor the sanctity of quiet while shitting on your teammates at full tilt?
But who would pay to build such a niche product? No one, it turns out. Andrés explained that they looked for investors but were turned down:
"We didn't get any investment, because it's something that can be easily copied."
Adam Kovic is a creative director and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. He spent a decade producing video content and brand campaigns for companies mostly owned or devoured by WarnerMedia.
Writer, filmmaker, and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. Aaron's work covers culture, economics, and the occasional vintage Volkswagen. Media veteran and purpose-driven creative.
Adam Kovic is a creative director and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. He spent a decade producing video content and brand campaigns for companies mostly owned or devoured by WarnerMedia.
Writer, filmmaker, and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. Aaron's work covers culture, economics, and the occasional vintage Volkswagen. Media veteran and purpose-driven creative.
Writer, filmmaker, and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. Aaron's work covers culture, economics, and the occasional vintage Volkswagen. Media veteran and purpose-driven creative.
Writer, filmmaker, and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. Aaron's work covers culture, economics, and the occasional vintage Volkswagen. Media veteran and purpose-driven creative.
Adam Kovic is a creative director and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. He spent a decade producing video content and brand campaigns for companies mostly owned or devoured by WarnerMedia.
Adam Kovic is a creative director and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. He spent a decade producing video content and brand campaigns for companies mostly owned or devoured by WarnerMedia.
Writer, filmmaker, and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. Aaron's work covers culture, economics, and the occasional vintage Volkswagen. Media veteran and purpose-driven creative.
Adam Kovic is a creative director and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. He spent a decade producing video content and brand campaigns for companies mostly owned or devoured by WarnerMedia.
Writer, filmmaker, and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. Aaron's work covers culture, economics, and the occasional vintage Volkswagen. Media veteran and purpose-driven creative.
Adam Kovic is a creative director and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. He spent a decade producing video content and brand campaigns for companies mostly owned or devoured by WarnerMedia.
Adam Kovic is a creative director and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. He spent a decade producing video content and brand campaigns for companies mostly owned or devoured by WarnerMedia.
Writer, filmmaker, and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. Aaron's work covers culture, economics, and the occasional vintage Volkswagen. Media veteran and purpose-driven creative.
Adam Kovic is a creative director and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. He spent a decade producing video content and brand campaigns for companies mostly owned or devoured by WarnerMedia.
Writer, filmmaker, and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. Aaron's work covers culture, economics, and the occasional vintage Volkswagen. Media veteran and purpose-driven creative.
Writer, filmmaker, and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. Aaron's work covers culture, economics, and the occasional vintage Volkswagen. Media veteran and purpose-driven creative.
Writer, filmmaker, and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. Aaron's work covers culture, economics, and the occasional vintage Volkswagen. Media veteran and purpose-driven creative.
Adam Kovic is a creative director and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. He spent a decade producing video content and brand campaigns for companies mostly owned or devoured by WarnerMedia.
Adam Kovic is a creative director and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. He spent a decade producing video content and brand campaigns for companies mostly owned or devoured by WarnerMedia.
Adam Kovic is a creative director and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. He spent a decade producing video content and brand campaigns for companies mostly owned or devoured by WarnerMedia.
Adam Kovic is a creative director and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. He spent a decade producing video content and brand campaigns for companies mostly owned or devoured by WarnerMedia.
Writer, filmmaker, and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. Aaron's work covers culture, economics, and the occasional vintage Volkswagen. Media veteran and purpose-driven creative.
Adam Kovic is a creative director and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. He spent a decade producing video content and brand campaigns for companies mostly owned or devoured by WarnerMedia.
Writer, filmmaker, and co-founder of Null+Void Creative. Aaron's work covers culture, economics, and the occasional vintage Volkswagen. Media veteran and purpose-driven creative.
