Cosmetics Brand Essence Fights Intolerance in Latest Roblox Experience

Essence, the German cosmetics brand, is helping fight against intolerance and negativity with a new Roblox experience created by Jung von Matt NERD and its tech-focused sister agency ALFR3D, and inspired by its bestselling mascara, Lash Princess.

The new experience, called Guardians of the Lash Princess, is part of essence’s existing Roblox presence, Kingdom of Essentia. It lets Roblox players fight against Evil Gray – a symbol of real-world challenges such as negativity, intolerance and bullying – by collaborating with other players and spreading positivity.

Inspired by the seasons, the ultimate goal for Guardians of the Lash Princess players is to collect a set of gems, one for each of the four seasons. It takes place across a series of islands, with the first, Frosty Falls, launching today, bringing the magic of winter into the virtual world. 

Players can collect essence coins in mini-games such as Color Splash and Frosty Hover Rush, which can be used to make the Kingdom of Essentia colourful. Further islands are set to appear to coincide with spring, summer and fall 2025. The game combines the mechanics of the popular tycoon games, which have been an established part of gaming culture since the ’90s, ensuring long-term gaming fun to maintain players’ interest.

Kingdom of Essentia allows players to earn in-game currency to buy upgrades or cosmetic customizations, reinforcing essence’s brand values of openness, tolerance, and equality, while strengthening its connection with the community. Guardians of The Lash Princess marks the most innovative extension of this universe to date.

Roblox, one of the fastest-growing platforms for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, boasts 88 million daily active users worldwide, and essence launched its pioneering Kingdom of Essentia on the platform in 2023. Jung von Matt NERD and ALFR3D have been involved in developing the adventure since the early stages, providing game experience, concept and lore, and running joint gaming workshops with essence. They have also had consulting support from GEEIQ, the leading enterprise data platform helping brands to engage the virtual world, designed with the needs and preferences of the Roblox community in mind.

Thanh Dao, managing director & partner Jung von Matt NERD & Founder ALFR3D, said: “We wanted to create more than just a branded experience; we wanted to give the essence community a playground where the brand’s values of creativity and self-expression shine through in a way that feels natural and engaging.”

Sebastian Romanus, director social & digital brand experience at cosnova, said: “In a media world where seconds in feeds count, Roblox allows us to create brand experiences that captivate communities for minutes, hours and months. Kingdom of Essentia shows how brands can bring their corporate values, products and social messages to life in a virtual world.”

Bülent Özdemir, global brand director at essence, added: “With Guardians Of The Lash Princess, we want to meet young people where they are. What excites us the most is that we can infuse brand communication at Roblox with playful elements and exciting stories that make our community part of our brand world.”