Roblox, the global platform bringing millions of people together through shared experiences, has become ground zero for beauty brands looking to capture the attention of virtual beauty consumers with gamified experiences. There are more than 3 billion active gamers in the world, presenting a powerful platform to integrate into omnichannel marketing strategies.
Eva Erdmann, President, Urban Decay Global, believes the world of Roblox lives at the intersection of beauty and tech, presenting an opportunity to build new communities of beauty creators and fans. The brand is stepping up to the challenge with Eye-Con, a 24/7 celebration of "bold, bright, and badass" looks.
Roblox revenue in Q1 2023 was $655.3 million, up 22% year over year. “Since inception we have focused on building a technology platform that enables a large and growing community of creators to build amazing experiences,” said David Baszucki, founder and CEO of Roblox. “The momentum in our business demonstrates the success of our creator community as they bring their visions to life on Roblox, attracting an ever-growing global user base that spans all ages.”
For Gen Z and Gen Alpha, gaming is a top entertainment activity and is viewed as a means for socializing and self-expression, where the virtual world is an extension of their physical world. For brands looking to unlock this opportunity, the challenge is launching activations that don’t feel like advertising.
Urban Decay isn't new to the world of gaming or Roblox. They collaborated with Paris Hilton in 2022 to launch Cryptoween, a virtual Halloween party complete with costumes, DJ sets, and special celebrity appearances. "Last year's Paris Hilton x Cryptoween event was a major success and showed us just how groundbreaking the metaverse can be for beauty creators," says Erdmann. "Urban Decay Eye-Con will have even more color, creativity, and custom looks that are nothing short of eye-conic."
In an effort to support the next generation of beauty creators in the metaverse, the brand released 18 virtual makeup looks to the 65 million users on Roblox. The brand developed 3D avatar wearables using products that can be purchased IRL. These limited-edition looks—nine made by mega beauty influencers Manny Gutierrez, Leilani Green, and Emmy Combs—feature the brand's best-selling 24/7 products.
They teamed up with Ulta beauty to host Urban Decay Eye-Con, the first-ever metaverse makeup launch party on Roblox to celebrate the launch. Gamers and glamazons alike unapologetically expressed themselves in the Ultaverse, Ulta Beauty's innovative world inside Roblox. Participants were invited to give their avatars bold new looks and stock virtual makeup bags at the Urban Decay pop-up shop.
Avatars flaunted their Urban Decay glow-ups on the runway, snapped looks at a selfie station, enjoyed makeup tutorials on the big screen, tested their beauty knowledge, and partied alongside Eye-Con's hosts, Gutierrez, Green, and Combs.
"We believe beauty has superpowers that unleash self-expression, fun and possibilities—and importantly, that beauty is for all," says Agustina Sartori, Senior Director of Digital Innovation, Ulta Beauty. "The Ultaverse is an inclusive, entertaining, and educational destination for younger generations to embrace the joy of beauty digitally. Our work with Urban Decay only amplifies the creative ways such a dynamic destination can come to life. We cannot wait to get this party started together!"
For online spaces like Roblox, it’s less about the product and more about the experience that can be created around the brand, meeting consumers with innovative and interactive ways to connect through online spaces and virtual storytelling.
