34 Branded virtual worlds

Branded virtual worlds

Does the future of advertising and marketing lie in gaming?

With the in-game advertising market set to grow by $3.54 billion between 2021 and 2025, according to a 2021 report by Technavio, brands are diving headfirst into gaming with branded virtual worlds.

Many brands are turning to established gaming platforms such as Roblox, creating novel in-game branded experiences in the hope of engaging the platform’s 46 million daily active users.

Ralph Lauren announced the launch of its Winter Escape on Roblox in December 2021. The holiday-themed virtual destination includes activities like ice skating, toasting marshmallows, scavenger hunts, and shopping the Ralph Lauren Digital Collection, available for purchase exclusively on Roblox. Nike unveiled Nikeland on Roblox in November 2021. The virtual world lets users dress their avatars in virtual Nike gear and explore Nikeland’s arenas, fields and buildings that are host to various mini-games. Vans World, launched in September 2021, is a virtual skatepark on Roblox where players can practice skateboarding tricks, design their own Vans shoes and skateboards, and try on virtual gear. Also in September on Roblox, Hyundai launched its Hyundai Mobility Adventure. The space contains five “parks” where users can race, play games, learn about Hyundai’s technologies, and take part in festivals.

Other brands are creating branded virtual worlds on their own platforms. For CES 2022, Procter and Gamble invited visitors into a virtual world where they could learn about the company’s full portfolio of products, play games, learn about the company’s sustainability initiatives and more. BMW launched its virtual world Joytopia in September 2021 as part of BMW’s participation in the IAA Mobility 2021 international motor show. As well as being the backdrop for BMW to present its vision for the future of mobility, Joytopia offered festivalesque elements including an exclusive Coldplay concert. Japanese beauty brand SK-II launched a virtual city in May 2021. Visitors can navigate a virtual rendering of SK-II City to shop, learn about products, and even catch a movie in the SK-II cinema.

“There’s something unique about the growth of gaming as a marketing platform,” Grant Paterson, head of gaming and esports at Wunderman Thompson, tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. “We talk about gaming as being the nexus of a new consumer paradigm.”

Why it’s interesting For younger generations especially, gaming is replacing advertising channels such as print and television. “A lot of the traditional ways of marketing to young people are gone forever,” Keith Stuart, games editor at the Guardian, tells Wunderman Thompson Intelligence. “Gaming is where they are.” Expect to see more branded virtual worlds as companies and marketers tap into this growing space.