This history was first reported in Glossya sister publication of Digiday en Español.
Mattel, which owns Barbie, and Forever 21 have incorporated AI into their collaborative Roblox activation, launched on May 18. The Roblox game coincides with the launch of a physical Forever 21 x Barbie capsule collection available on the Forever 21 mobile app, e-commerce site and select stores. The digital counterpart is available on Roblox.
Both the physical and digital collection feature 76 pieces, including dresses and tops in pink and blue. This is the second physical Barbie and Forever 21 collection from Mattel. The first, which included Barbie-themed fashion, beauty, accessories and home decor, went on sale in June 2022.
The Forever 21 x Barbie digital collection was designed in collaboration with Virtual Brand Group. VBG was also behind the success Forever 21’s Roblox hat went viral in December 2022. Forever 21 later sold a physical version of the style.
“Beyond social gaming, we’ve been able to use Roblox as a testing ground to better understand what our customer wants in products,” said Jacob Hawkins, Forever 21’s director of marketing, digital and omnichannel. last year. The Forever 21 world Shop City on Roblox has so far received 260,000 views.
“[Los mundos digitales] they provide more cost-effective access to more consumer data, to test ideas, compared to the physical world,” said Justin Hochberg, CEO and founder of VBG.
The Forever 21 x Barbie digital collection is available exclusively in the Forever 21 Shop City experience on Roblox. Limited item drops will be released throughout the next month. Some of the digital items will be given away to Roblox users – Forever 21 will promote the offer to attract its buyers to the platform.
Digital fashion continues to be a growing focus for the video game industry. In fact, Fortnite’s parent company, Epic Games, invested last week at the digital fashion creator company CLO.
The Forever 21 x Barbie collection is the first on Roblox to be created using generative AI. The final designs drew on elements from both the physical Forever 21 x Barbie collection and Barbie’s signature aesthetic. “AI is a tool our creators use that inspires them to see digital fashion in new ways,” says Hochberg. “The No. 1 design factor is HI, or human intelligence, and that is complemented by other tools such as artificial intelligence.” AI is being used to design the collection.
“Millions of Roblox users express themselves on the platform and update their avatars daily. We know from our research that they’re looking for styles that are trending in the physical world and represent the latest IRL collections from their favorite brands,” says Winnie Burke, Head of Fashion & Beauty Partnerships at Roblox. “This is certainly the case with the Barbie-themed styles that are all the rage this summer, given the cultural moment the franchise is experiencing. The community appreciates timely content and articles that represent a true extension of the brands that innovate in this space.”
The digital collection also features the first auras from Forever 21. The auras, which float around one’s avatar on Roblox, have been in high demand by users. The Barbie Roblox Collection ranges from 65 Robux to 400 Robux, with Barbie auras priced higher. “Generally, as an item creator, you can put an item up for sale on Roblox for one or a billion Robux. That’s up to you,” Hochberg said. “But the auras are so popular that Roblox requires that they be no less than 100 Robux.”
In January 2022, Mattel Chairman and COO Richard Dickson, outline the plan for the future of collaborations with Barbie. It is also by far the company’s most recognizable brand, making it ideal for global collaborations.
So far, Mattel has integrated Barbie, Polly Pocket and He-Man into Roblox, and is preparing a series of fashion collaborations ahead of the release of the “Barbie” movie in late June. Last month, she teamed up with Gap on a new apparel collaboration inspired by Mattel’s portfolio of brands. In New York, she also opened a Malibu Barbie Café pop-up that will run through September 15 and is expected to launch more collaborations ahead of the film’s release.
