Traditional advertising often makes people feel like they’re missing something. Creators and the communities they build make people feel good. That’s why audiences spend more time in spaces constructed by creators not brands. Platforms like Roblox exemplify this shift, with 85.3 million daily users spending over 2.5 hours each day creating, connecting, and expressing themselves.
Stephanie Latham, VP of Global Brand Partnerships and Advertising for Roblox, views this shift as a wake-up call. “You’re not just selling a product you’re building a relationship,” she notes. “And that relationship starts with trust. It’s powerful when you build a world where someone feels like they belong.”
Why Roblox, Why Now
While many platforms offer reach, Roblox offers something more rare: depth. “The goal for brands is no longer just to be seen by millions of potential consumers. It’s to be invited into the places where people spend their time,” says Yonatan Raz-Fridman, founder of Supersocial, one of the first agencies to build immersive brand experiences on Roblox.
Supersocial has assisted brands like Walmart, Gucci, NARS, and e.l.f. Cosmetics in creating always-on environments that integrate into how communities play and connect. Raz-Fridman points to e.l.f. UP! — a persistent Roblox world where players build virtual businesses as a model for how brands can add value.
“What makes these activations effective is not just the gameplay, but the brand’s willingness to hand over the controls,” he explains. “e.l.f. understood that on Roblox, the audience doesn’t just consume they create.”
The Digital to Physical Commerce Connection
That same mindset shaped Walmart’s Supercampus, a back-to-school experience built by Supersocial that blended puzzles, games, and commerce with partners like BIC, Crayola, and 3M. The results drove visibility, in-world engagement, and a “physical to digital” retail strategy breakthrough.
According to Raz-Fridman, the key is consistency. “Roblox isn’t a one-and-done platform. If you want sustained impact, you need continuity and community.”
On Roblox Creators Are the Architects of Influence
Jonathan Courtney, known as Whosetrade, is a leading Roblox creator with over 40 million virtual items sold and collaborations with Adidas, Ralph Lauren, and Hugo Boss. He understands what players want—often before brands do.
“Most brands don’t know how loved they already are,” says Courtney. “You’ll see fan-made games for brands that aren’t even on the platform yet. That’s demand, real demand waiting to be unlocked.” One surprising example is the cult following of luxury brand Chrome Hearts, which has no official Roblox presence. “There are entire fan-made games and accessories based on it,” Courtney notes. “That kind of organic love is rare and valuable.”
His record-breaking Adidas collaboration made headlines when a one-of-one diamond and gold digital necklace sold for 2 million Robux (roughly $20,000) to collector Simon Burgess. The purchase included two pairs of customized Adidas shoes: the F-50 Elite Laceless Fast Reborn FG Boots and the Campus 00s.
Courtney also recently partnered with PhygitalTwin to release a merchandise collection that sold out in just 20 minutes both in-game and real life. “Roblox is the perfect testing ground. We can see what works before going to production, cutting waste and risk.”
He sees the platform’s influence ripple outward. “People discover a new digital item on Roblox, talk about it on TikTok or X, and buy it online,” he said. “That’s something every brand should be learning from.”
And the off-platform reach is just as powerful. According to Tubular Labs, Roblox-related content generated 7.2 billion views on YouTube in the first half of 2024 alone, showing how far creator-led moments can travel.
Data Is the New Creative Brief
Jason Steyaert, President of Skylight Media, emphasizes that Roblox isn’t just a creative playground it’s a powerful source of actionable data. His team builds custom dashboards that track player behavior: time spent in specific locations and interactions with branded characters. “It’s not just about what’s seen,” he says. “It’s about what players do.”
This level of engagement has measurable outcomes. For Visa, Skylight Media developed a virtual farmers market where players earned coins through mini-games, learning to spend or save based on reward tiers. The gamified experience introduced real-world financial literacy concepts like credit scores. What began as a six-month pilot campaign was extended, reaching 1 billion impressions and over 75 million engagements across platforms.
Roblox is taking this data-driven potential seriously. The company has dramatically expanded its partnerships team, investing heavily in e-commerce tools, retail collaborations, and an evolving ad product. Steyaert urges marketers to compare that investment to the value they’re getting elsewhere. “With the right creative, a player can spend 5 to 15 minutes with your brand,” he notes. “That’s a world away from a 30-second ad or a two-second scroll.”
Roblox Commerce Is Getting a Makeover
Roblox is rapidly evolving into a platform for both digital and physical commerce. In the first three quarters of 2023, 1.6 billion digital fashion items were sold up 15% year over year. Gen Z is fully onboard: 54% said their physical style was very or extremely inspired by their avatar.
The next frontier is on-platform e-commerce. Walmart’s Supercampus tested digital-physical item fulfillment, and in Q2 2025, Roblox will launch a Shopify integration to allow creators and brands to sell actual products directly inside their Roblox experiences.
The ability to sell actual world products signals a new era where creators may soon earn more from physical merchandise than digital goods, redefining how commerce, community, and culture converge
The Power of Pose 28: How Fashion Goes Viral on Roblox
Since launching in November 2023, Dress to Impress has become one of Roblox’s most visited games, with over 2.7 billion plays (September 2024). Players compete to build themed outfits, strut the virtual runway, and vote on their favorite looks. With categories ranging from “mall goth” to “mythical creatures,” it’s evolved into a multiplayer fashion show and a pop culture sensation.
The game has even sparked a TikTok trend, where users recreate the experience using real-life outfits, in-game audio, and signature emotes like the now-iconic “Pose 28.” That crossover hit a new high in March when Roblox creator Lana Rae (Lanas Life) challenged Swedish pop star Zara Larsson to a speed round, proving how seamlessly fashion, music, and gaming can converge.
The Invisible Artists Behind the Screen
Latham urges marketers to rethink what it means to be a creator. “The developers building these experiences are artists,” she said. “They’re shaping spaces, cultures, and communities. Their gallery is the world they build and brands are guests in it.”
She compares today’s moment to the early days of social. “Marketers knew it mattered, but they didn’t fully speak the language,” she said. “The smartest CMOs now are restructuring teams, hiring immersive strategists, and collaborating with Roblox creators not just commissioning them.”
From Attention to Affinity on Roblox
Latham put it best: “On Roblox, the smartest brands aren’t just trying to sell—they’re trying to join,” she said. “People pay attention when you participate in the culture instead of trying to control it.”
While traditional advertising can make people feel like they’re missing out, creator-driven experiences do the opposite; they build spaces where people feel seen. That emotional connection isn’t just good marketing—it’s the future of brand loyalty.
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