Advertising to children is strictly regulated, but household brands are flooding the Roblox gaming platform with interactive marketing. The question is whether it’s dangerous to unformed minds.
For example, in the blocky world of Chipotle Burrito Builder, players wear the uniforms of the Tex-Mex restaurant chain to cook burritos for virtual customers. Available toppings are taken from Chipotle’s actual menu. And there are occasional drawings for coupons that can be redeemed for very real prizes.
There’s also Hyundai Mobility Adventure, which lets you test drive models of Korean manufacturers’ vehicles. Samsung Galaxy Station gives the player a mockup of the company’s latest smartphone to take to alien worlds. And that’s just a small portion of examples.
With tons of corporate theme parks available, Roblox is especially popular with kids and young players (58% of users reported being 16 years old or younger). It is also a favorite playground of corporate advertisers. Ads presented in video game format splash corporate branding on a set of game mechanics simple enough for Roblox’s young player base. At the same time, the platform itself positions its user base as attractive in a crowded advertising market.
Indeed, integrating a brand into a game is an effective advertising solution. But it is not a new one. Take, for example, gambling entertainment, which also uses gamification to engage users. One popular example is Plinko, a game that combines the element of randomness and the exciting visual effect of a ball falling across the playing field. Today, there are even many gambling-related websites dedicated to Plinko, but one of the most visited is Plinkogames In. Here, you can easily find a website where you can play this game.
However, Roblox has gone beyond just integrating a brand into the game. The platform allows brands to channel interactive elements into a ready-made, engaging space. And in doing so, the brand interacts with the next generation of consumers. Sophisticated advertising games, such as those appearing on Roblox, have a more significant impact on shaping consumer preferences. And in doing so, the platform does not require brands to position promotional games as advertising. To adults and children, Roblox’s corporate advertising worlds look almost indistinguishable from the hundreds of thousands of other games created by ordinary players. It’s a camouflage that allows companies to present their messages, products, and brands effectively.
Some companies seek new ways to expand the current advertising game model. For example, Walmart announced it would be the first retailer to sell tangible goods directly through the platform.
Since children are the target audience for advertising, this should have been tightly controlled, but it’s a confusing issue. While it’s being resolved, the ad gaming industry is growing, pointing the way for the future of digital marketing.