Favorite Roblox brand moments across sports, entertainment, UGC, social and video.
In 2023 the amount of brands building on Roblox continued to grow at a rapid pace.
New brands entered the platform such as Moonbug's Blippi, the NBA, McDonald's, K-Pop group Blackpink, Paramount's Mean Girls, and the PGA.
And lots of other brands came back to Roblox with impressive new efforts including Walmart, Karlie Kloss, Paris Hilton, NARS Cosmetics, Netflix, NERF, FIFA, Barbie and Amazon. These companies clearly believe investing in Roblox is important to their businesses.
All of this ongoing activity points to Roblox's increasing importance as a powerful channel to reach and connect with highly-fragmented young audiences, especially Gen Z.
Despite there being so many activations on the platform, it's relatively easy to see which ones gained the most visits, had the longest session time, or earned the most "like" votes.
Instead of taking that somewhat predictable data-driven approach to coming up with this list, I opted instead to focus on 5 brand moments that resonated with me from an emotional level that involved bringing me surprise and delight.
So here are my favorite brand moments of 2023.
2023 Favorite Branded Entertainment Experience on Roblox: TMNT Battle Tycoon
Developer: Gamefam
As a kid, I loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Michelangelo was my favorite because he was the coolest. But I could relate to Donatello who was the brainy one.
I watched the cartoon, collected the toys, and bought the NES video game.
So when I learned that the franchise was coming to Roblox, I was genuinely excited.
When TMNT Battle Tycoon launched at the end of the summer, it performed really well, attracting millions upon millions lots of visits. What was impressive was that this was done without offering free UGC. The game performed well on its own by having solid gameplay.
And when I played it, I found myself enjoying uncovering new areas, such as the group's sewer HQ. I really enjoyed how fun it was to play and how full it was with details for TMNT fans old and new.
2023 Favorite Branded Sports Experience on Roblox: NHL Blast
Developer: The Gang
When I first spawned into NHL Blast on Roblox wearing ice skates and holding a hockey stick, I was impressed by my avatar's movement.
While I am a novice ice skater IRL, my avatar was gliding effortlessly on the ice, which was really cool.
I love when a game allows me to do things I can't do IRL, and NHL Blast does just that.
And with fun gameplay that expands on traditional hockey, it's easy to get caught up on the ongoing competitions.
I also enjoyed how the experience highlights the NHL's various teams in a way that feels interesting and special.
With over 17 million visits from over 4 million unique players, the experience has certainly resonated with lots of others people.
2023 Favorite Branded Experience Trailer: Paris Hilton's Slivingland
Developer: Sawhorse
Full disclosure, I worked on this project with Sawhorse Productions and 11:11 Media, so I'm totally biased.
Paris Hilton was one of the very first celebrities to jump into Roblox a couple of years ago.
When she returned to the platform with her Slivingland experience, she released what I believe is one of the coolest branded Roblox trailers ever.
Featuring Paris in a pink full body Slivingland suit, the video goes beyond your standard montage of gameplay beauty shots. There's incredible visual effects, audio effects, and Hilton herself to guide viewers through her immersive world.
I hope in 2024 we continue to see creators and brands pushing the limits of creativity on Roblox trailers.
2023 Favorite Branded Free UGC: Croc On Your Head
Developer: Gen.G
Giving away free UGC Limited items is a powerful way for brands to attract attention from Roblox players.
But not all free UGC items are created equal. Some items end up being duds that players don't care about.
And other items are smash hits that sell out instantly because players want them so much.
I absolutely love the Croc On Your Head UGC from Crocs because it's does so many things right:
- It's a head accessory, which is a popular UGC category
- it takes the brand and puts it front and center in a fun and unexpected way
- It's incredibly eye catching
Wearing a giant shoe on your head is not something most people would do IRL, but on Roblox, it's absolutely perfect.
2023 Favorite Branded Promotional Campaign on Roblox: Twice
Developer: Karta
When K-Pop band Twice launched their branded experience Twice Square on Roblox, they did something really cool.
They recorded a simple video, where they announced the launch and invited fans to participate in a contest.
Fans who recorded videos of themselves showing off their best dance moves and used the hashtag #twiceonroblox were entered for the chance to have their video featured by the band.
This video was released by Roblox's official TikTok account and amassed over 6 million views.
I love how this simple idea spawned so much organic video content for the band and their Roblox experience. When fans are invited to participate in the creation process, it can be a big win for fans and the brands they love.
Stephen Dypiangco is the CEO of Metaverse Marcom, a strategy and consulting firm helping entertainment and sports brands enter Roblox.