Roblox Marketing Is Getting An e.l.f Makeover

As if the sheer panic of getting dressed for highschool wasn’t enough, Gen Z have decided to popularise a whole new world to stress about your outfit in; Roblox. 

The virtual world is becoming increasingly important to Gen Z consumers, with a hyper focus on virtual appearance and identity slowly forming as a priority. 

Recent studies carried out by Roblox have shown that Gen Z-aged users have a climbing interest in virtual fashion, so much so that offline shopping is becoming a secondary focus. In fact, more than half of Gen Z Roblox players believe that keeping their virtual avatar looking stylish is more important than their offline appearance. 

Avatar style isn’t reserved solely for the screen either. Just over 80% of survey respondents claimed that their offline style drew inspiration from their avatar. 

The Roblox virtual economy is incredibly viable for brands, with almost 1.6 billion virtual fashion items being purchased on the platform in just the first three quarters of 2023. Brands certainly aren’t oblivious to this fact, with many taking to releasing virtual products in Roblox with raging success; this kind of Roblox marketing encourages users to buy the corresponding physical items in real life. 

However, how brands attempt to carry out Roblox marketing and their success in doing so, varies greatly. One particularly interesting case is e.l.f. Cosmetic’s newly released e.l.f. Up! Roblox experience. 

e.l.f. Up! 

Eyes, lips, face, Roblox?

e.l.f. Cosmetics has decided to raise the bar when it comes to beauty companies getting involved with gaming. The widely popular brand has recently announced its new venture into Roblox; an experience called e.l.f. Up!, which will see users becoming business leaders of their own start-ups. 

The experience, which will be advertised via influencer partnerships and the release of limited edition user-generated items, is intended to teach Roblox users financial literacy in a fun environment. 

Could e.l.f. Up! be a glimpse into the future of beauty brands in the metaverse? Given the way beauty companies can easily blend into gaming interfaces such as Roblox, this does not seem like too far of a leap. 

What is e.l.f. Up!? 

e.l.f. Up! will allow users to try their hand at business ownership, all within an aesthetically pleasing, e.l.f.-themed world. 

Through the e.l.f. Up! experience, users will step into the role of entrepreneur, and create their own businesses in virtual areas inspired by company products. Gamers will be able to walk around an e.l.f.-themed land, interacting with NPCs in spaces such as the Big Mood karaoke bar, Holy Hydration! marine animal charity, Halo Glow art and jewellery gallery, and Power Grip tech startup and climbing gym. 

Over time, e.l.f. is hoping to expand the game to include more features, such as allowing users to own pets, and diversifying its language options. To inspire users to jump in on the fun, e.l.f. will be handing out one million user-generated items. The virtual merchandise will function the same as Roblox’s standard in-game, collectable items. 

On top of this, e.l.f. will be running a variety of influencer marketing campaigns, with popular Roblox creators such as Its Funneh, Lana Rae and The Crew being just some of the names they have partnered with. 

Whilst Roblox is most popular with Gen A—a recent poll showed that 67% of users are under the age of 16—e.l.f. is aiming to target Gen Z and Millennial users with e.l.f. Up! as well. 

@elfyeah

Oh us? Just leveling up on @Roblox ✨💄Introducing: e.l.f. UP! 🤩🎮 A dynamic tycoon adventure where you can turn your side hustle into your e.l.f.ing DREAM business! #elfcosmetics #powergripprimer #haloglow #elfxroblox #roblox #utopia

♬ Drippy – Boxwork

Beauty brands and Roblox marketing 

For most of us, Roblox is just that game that “the youngsters play”. You’ve probably heard your niece begging her mum for a Robucks gift card, or squealing about her latest obby speed run. Yet, its popularity means that Roblox marketing should not be overlooked by brands. 

According to its latest polls, the platform sees 70.2 million users daily. In the third quarter of 2023 alone, users collectively played 16 billion hours of Roblox. Evidently, e.l.f. has found a gold mine; and it’s not the only brand seeking to tap into Roblox marketing. 

In 2022, Gucci Beauty, Nars, Urban Decay, and Givenchy Beauty all created virtual worlds in Roblox as part of their Roblox marketing schemes. 2023 saw both Fenty Beauty and Essence cosmetics release Roblox games. 

But why Roblox marketing? 

Aside from the chokehold it has on Gen Z and Gen A, Roblox marketing simply lends itself very well to beauty brand partnerships given its metaverse nature. 

Many parallels can be drawn between the beauty industry and the metaverse, making brand partnerships within it successful and effective. Aside from the fact that both the beauty world and the metaverse are built on experimentation and self-expression, the avatar-centric nature of the metaverse – including NFTs and character design – is perfect for beauty brands.

Moreover, much like metaverse gaming, beauty discourse is spearheaded by online creators; these creator-audience relationships, though in different industries, can be easily blended together. 

So why didn’t e.l.f. take a more traditional route for Roblox marketing? Simply unveil a series of in-game products and experiences, rather than taking a niche entrepreneurial angle? Ultimately, to appeal to its target audience in a fresh, unique way. 

With the number of beauty brands tapping into the metaverse, standing out is becoming increasingly more difficult. On top of this, e.l.f. already did things the easy way back in 2020, when it partnered with a variety of Twitch streamers to promote its products. As such, e.l.f. Up! is an interesting take on Roblox marketing strategy, and in fact, is touching on a desire in e.l.f.’s target audience. 

In a recent press release, the brand has cited a BazaarVoice study which found that 62% of Gen Z consumers either already identify as entrepreneurs, or intend on entering the space in the future. Thus, e.l.f. Up! is a direct answer to this call. e.l.f. has stated that e.l.f. Up! is intended to be a purposeful form of entertainment; an experience that will inspire self-expression as well as financial literacy, by encouraging users to create businesses on causes that they are passionate about. 

@elfyeah

there’s SO much you can do in e.l.f. UP! create your own superstore! earn tickets & redeem for FREE UGC! & SO. MUCH. MORE! link in bio 🎉🎮💄 #elfcosmetics #elfxroblox #roblox

♬ original sound – e.l.f. Cosmetics

The future of marketing in the metaverse 

The metaverse is a constantly evolving space. Given its rapid evolution, it is unlikely that brands will be able to nail down their specific roles in it for many years to come. Despite this, as e.l.f. has shown, getting your foot in the door is integral. 

As previously mentioned, the structure of platforms such as Roblox lend themselves incredibly well to beauty brands. With its huge audience, Roblox marketing is a bonafide heaven send for marketers. 

But why should beauty brands have all the fun?

Marketing in the metaverse is integral for all modern day brands; especially those hoping to target the Gen A and Gen Z audience. Through ventures such as e.l.f. Up!, brands are able to tap into the younger market in a manner that they understand. Experiences such as e.l.f. Up! establish a genuine connection between companies and their consumers, providing real-world-satisfaction in a space outside of simple purchases. 

The future of marketing in the metaverse may be cloudy, but we think e.l.f. has certainly made a pretty good guess at where it is headed. 

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