On average, Gen Alpha spends $2,340 in pocket money yearly, with 35% of this figure allocated to trading their money for beauty items. When not buying into the latest cosmetic trend, the younger generation can often be found playing Roblox. The app, which hosts almost 90 million active users a day, has seen a plethora of beauty brands make their mark in the space to connect with younger audiences. Previously, brands and retailers such as Sol de Janeiro, Maybelline, and Superdrug have captured the digital attention of Gen A and Gen Z on Roblox.
As beauty brands race to connect with younger consumers, Givaudan is the latest to make a bold stride into the metaverse. With the launch of “Guardians of Memories” on Roblox, the global fragrance powerhouse is using gamification to turn perfume creation into an immersive, educational adventure for the next generation. Designed for Gen Z and Gen A, the game explores the connection between scents, memories, and emotions, making the art of perfumery accessible to younger consumers in a familiar digital space.
The aforementioned generations are redefining the beauty industry, prioritizing experience-driven purchases and interactive engagement. According to recent reports, beauty brands investing in metaverse experiences see increased brand affinity among younger audiences. According to a report by McKinsey, Gen Zers alone account for nearly 40% of global consumers and are twice as likely as millennials to engage with brands through gaming platforms. This shift has prompted beauty and fragrance companies to experiment with gamification, AI-driven personalization, and metaverse activations.
In “Guardians of Memories,” players embark on an interactive quest where they explore the emotional power of scent.The game transforms fragrance creation into an adventure, allowing users to experiment with ingredients and compositions while discovering the deep connection between memory and perfume. Players meet various characters who send them on tasks to collect popular perfume ingredients such as rosemary, cedar, vanilla, and rose. Once collected, the player starts the next process of creating the perfume. The quest was created with the intention that the perfumes used will draw a connection between Givaudan fragrances and memories of happy times gamers have experienced on Roblox.
“We aim to engage the younger generation in a playful and educational manner, using their own cultural codes to highlight the richness of olfactory craftsmanship,” says Arnaud Guggenbuhl, Head of Global Marketing Insight and Image Fine Fragrance at Givaudan.
Beyond marketing, Givaudan sees “Guardians of Memories” as a way to cultivate a deeper understanding of perfumery. Marine Le Gall, co-founder of Digitalli, emphasizes the project's commitment to education: “Among the wide range of innovative projects we develop for our customers, the Givaudan project stands out for its deep commitment to education and the transmission of olfactory expertise.” By gamifying fragrance creation, Givaudan is ensuring that younger generations don’t just buy perfume—they understand and appreciate the storytelling, artistry, and craftsmanship behind it, reinforcing its authority in the fine fragrance industry.
As the fragrance industry grapples with how to engage younger consumers, Givaudan is leveraging gamification and interactive storytelling to turn perfume education into an immersive experience. This initiative aligns with a broader industry trend where beauty brands are integrating AI, AR, and metaverse experiences to create deeper brand connections. Givaudan is not only expanding brand awareness but also cultivating the next generation of fragrance enthusiasts. This digital-first approach gives the company a competitive edge, reinforcing its reputation as an innovator in scent creation while offering valuable consumer insights.
Elsewhere in the industry, brands have explored ways that scent can be involved in virtual worlds, without being able to actually smell them. Brands including YSL and Rook Perfumes have created fragrance NFTs, Google is constantly training its AI models to predict how molecules will smell by analyzing their structural makeup, and Osmo is using similar technology to craft new fragrance models. On Roblox specifically, Fine’ry created the “Fine’ry-verse" where users could discover scents through their “digital senses” rather than smell.
Givaudan’s move into the metaverse with Guardians of Memories is more than just a marketing play—it’s a forward-thinking strategy that acknowledges the shifting dynamics of consumer engagement in the beauty industry. As Gen Z and Gen A reshape the market, brands that fail to embrace gamification, immersive storytelling, and digital experiences risk losing their foothold in an industry that is becoming increasingly interactive. Givauden is securing its relevance among younger consumers, ensuring that fine fragrances remain aspirational yet accessible in the digital age.
