Air Jordan tries dirt bikes, Balenciaga hits the slopes, and Roblox has a plan

Week two, and let me tell you, this stuff is quite time-consuming! However, that's actually a positive thing because I've delved deeper to uncover more details for you - my first few adventurous subscribers! In this week's edition, we got Nicki Minaj, Roblox, Jordan, Balenciaga, and even more LEGO!

Here’s what you need to know about this week:

• Nicki Minaj’s #GagCity is live on Roblox.

• We are getting more clarity on commerialisation in Roblox.

• Nike Jordan Brand release the AJ11. And an mobile AR dirt bike game?!

• The Balenciaga skiwear mini-game dropped.

• Lego Fortnite launched last week, and it might be even bigger than we thought!

Nicki Minaj’s Gag City experience launched on Roblox

This virtual experience, developed in partnership with metaverse studio Karta and Republic Records, provides a distinctive interactive shopping experience within Roblox. In "Nicki Minaj's Gag City," enthusiasts can buy digital items that commemorate Minaj's music and career milestones, including emotes and themed digital items inspired by her popular songs such as "Superbass," "Anaconda," and "Starships.""

The hype around Nicki Minaj's "Gag City" in Roblox is tied to the launch of her new album "Pink Friday 2." The excitement began when Minaj teased the album’s cover art online, featuring a pink aesthetic with a futuristic city skyline. The term "Gag City" was coined, referencing gay slang for being amazed to the point of speechlessness. Fans eagerly embraced this concept, posting AI-generated images of a pink "Gag City" and creating elaborate narratives about its inhabitants.

The debut of the undisclosed project was not only aimed at promoting the album, but also at establishing a unique connection with fans. Minaj enthusiastically expressed her anticipation for providing fans with a fresh avenue to engage with her music through this virtual encounter. This endeavor encompasses a fusion of music, fashion, and gaming, providing an engrossing experience for Minaj's devoted fans, known as the Barbz, within the digital domain.

This move by Minaj demonstrates an effective use of digital platforms to engage with fans and promote music in the contemporary digital landscape

Here’s why you should care, even if you don't listen to Nicki Minaj, or play Roblox

Roblox experiences are growing, and the commercialisation model is becoming clearer. The amount of branded experiences are growing on Roblox, but not the engagement. 

Despite the significant increase in new brand activations on Roblox over the past year, engagement levels remain low. Walmart Discovered, for example, only has an average of 395 concurrent players, which is relatively low compared to the top experiences on the platform. Furthermore, most players tend to leave these experiences quickly, with an average session length of just 4 minutes.

However, there are exceptions to this trend, such as Nicki Minaj's Gagcity Roblox experience, which showcases the power of intellectual property (IP) in driving a new form of consumption on Roblox. While the primary purpose of this experience is to promote Minaj's latest album, "Pink Friday 2", it also offers fans a high-quality, immersive experience, with commerce opportunities throughout.

Roblox is actively working towards providing future e-commerce opportunities and making their platform more appealing to brands than traditional social media platforms. The introduction of in-game commerce in Roblox is expected to bring about a significant shift. This feature will enable players to try on virtual items and purchase their real-life counterparts directly within the game, which has major implications:

• Increased Revenue: It's projected that in-game commerce could increase the average revenue per daily active user (ARPDAU) by over 40 times.

• Attribution: In-game commerce will enable brands to track purchase conversions, allowing them to measure the return on their investment in Roblox experiences.

• Attracting New Fans: This feature could make Roblox a more attractive platform for brands by providing more engaging shopping experiences than even traditional means.

Christina Wootton, Roblox's Chief Partnerships Officer, notes the spending power of Gen Z, and the increased significance of digital fashion. 

Nike AR & mobile-game experience for the AJ11

Supporting the launch of the latest Jordan AJ11 'Gratitude', Nike have released a Augmented Reality / Immersive Experiences that allow users to Shop, Play & Explore. The highlight of the experience is a members-only dirt bike game with tricks inspired by EJ the Dirt Bike Kid. Check out the Nike “Gratitude” Jordan experience here.

Nike are writing the book on this stuff. The Roblox game: Nikeland. The UE5/Fortnite experience: Airphoria. Now, the AJ11 Gratitude game, which is a pretty small lift in comparison to the previous two.

Why should you, and other non-gamers, care?

Data! It matters, because data.

The game is only available to “members”. How do you become a member? It’s free! You just have to give your email, set a password, and verify your email. And with that, you become a brilliantly accurate and double-verified email address with a self proclaimed keen interest in the AJ11.

That matters to Nike, because if they can guarantee they can reach you - and now they can - they have confidence in their ability to serve you compelling content that will likely lead to a purchase.

Balenciaga Create a Virtual Skiing Game

Strikingly similar to the Jordan Gratitude game, Balenciaga created virtual ski game to promote their new skiwear collection. The game features two avatar options and players can compete against others from around the world. As players progress through the game, the slalom course gets more difficult and the weather conditions worsen.

Players can earn rewards such as wallpapers and stickers, and there is a contest to win a physical Balenciaga Ski Lock (!!). The game is available exclusively on WeChat in China, and via the web in the rest of the world.

Why you, a non-gamer who doesn’t regularly shop Balenciaga, should care

This is good news for every non-skiier who wants to rep the Balenciaga ski gear collection, and still feel like that can earn their turns before Apres! No gloves, goggles or snow - just a mobile phone and $4,000 for the jacket.

More to the point, it is interesting that similar tactics are being used to marketing $150 shoes and luxury skiwear. Mobile game experiences are no longer used just to drive micro payments and youth engagement. Luxury brands and mass market brands alike are getting into the playable media space. 

Update: The Lego Fortnite game is driving a huge spike in concurrent players into Fortnite

Fortnite had a huge week, Launch Rocket Racing and Fortnite Festival as well at LEGO Fortnite. But, LEGO Fortnite debuted on a whole different level.

The LEGO Fortnite game has been a significant success since its launch. It achieved a remarkable peak of 2.4 million concurrent players shortly after its release. According to Fortnite.GG this number far surpasses the initial success of other new games launched within Fortnite, such as Rocket Racing which peaked at about 800,000 concurrent players and Fortnite Festival which topped out at around 600,000.