Spotify is taking a page out of the Ralph Lauren, Vans and Chipotle marketing playbooks in an effort to connect with younger gamers on Roblox.
The audio streaming company has created Spotify Island in Roblox, where players will be able to complete quests, make music and collect artist merch. The first artist collaborations will be with South Korean singer Sunmi and the Korean boy band Stray Kids. Virtual merchandise will include a bass guitar, wings and a flower backpack. Spotify says a portion of virtual sales will go to the artists.
Sign up for Ad Age’s Metaverse Marketing newsletter.
Ralph Lauren, Vans and Chipotle have all launched virtual experiences on Roblox. But the Spotify world shows that even brands outside the retail and food industries are looking for ways to get in front of younger consumers. Getting a younger audience interested in artists via games could be a way to bolster future ad-supported or paid subscribers. This comes as Spotify’s paid subscriber forecast fell short in the first quarter and the platform lost 1.5 million subscribers in Russia due to pulling out of the country.