New Chupa Chups Game ‘Skate & Create’ Aims to Earn 'Creds' with Gen Z
Perfetti Van Melle’s iconic lollipop brand Chupa Chups, in partnership with Wavemaker UK and interactive entertainment and lifestyle company, Misfits Gaming Group, is making its first entry into the online game platform and creation system, Roblox, with a brand-new game, Chupa Chups: Skate & Create .
The first iteration launching on August 31st will allow users to head out into the city alone or with friends and other players to spread their artistic creativity far and wide with an assortment of street art and tags to choose from. Spray cans scattered across the map allow players to adorn the streets with vibrant paint inspired by Chupa Chups flavours to encourage creative expression and collaborative artistic endeavours.
As the bright vibes of Chupa Chups are painted across the city over time, new items, areas and activities are unlocked for players to explore via skates or skateboards. Additionally, by stringing tricks and jumps and spreading their creativity with street art, players literally and figuratively ‘Grind for Cred’, which can be spent in the Chupa Chups Shop to get the perfect piece of art or to get their hands on new, stylish threads. The latter is a further way for users to express themselves and tailor their avatar and the game to their personality. Whether opting into missions, such as grabbing a water gun for an impromptu water battle or an organic game of tag in the Grind for Cred, Chupa Chups: Skate & Create is designed for play with others and as a space for users to build communities.
The entry into Roblox comes as the brand looks to build cultural relevance amongst younger, growing audiences. As 98% of UK gen z are gamers of some kind and spend, on average, 4.7 days a week gaming, Wavemaker UK and Perfetti Van Melle alighted on Roblox as the environment to build new connections with a younger audience. As well as selecting Roblox, Wavemaker’s insights and research around gen z enabled Chupa Chups to establish the game mission and concept of ‘Creative Empowerment’ or handing over creative freedom for gen z to authentically express themselves through the brand.
Wavemaker’s Applied Innovation and Sports, Live & Gaming teams were also responsible for developing a test and learn gaming roadmap for Chupa Chups and selecting the build partner, Misfits-owned studio, Pixel Playground. The media agency’s Studio and Innovation teams have worked closely with Pixel Playground, the revolutionary Roblox game studio from the minds of global superstar Roblox game creators Kreekcraft and Karl Jacobs, to develop the experience.
Chupa Chups: Skate & Create is just the start of the brand’s gaming strategy. While the experience was initially planned as UK-only, due to demand, it will be rolled out to additional markets, and the brand world will continue to develop and expand with subsequent releases. In future, Chupa Chups, Wavemaker and Misfits will also look into further testing, including potential opportunities such as real-life events, seasonal content drops and alignments with licensing.
Kim McMahon, brand manager - Chupa Chups, Perfetti Van Melle, said, “Gaming is an area we’ve had our eyes on for a while. We know it’s a rich territory to connect with younger audiences. But in the rapidly changing ecosystem that is online gaming, identifying the best place to start testing and learning can be challenging. Working with Wavemaker and their partner Misfits made this process not just simple but really enjoyable. They guided us to unlock the best opportunity spaces for us. This gaming pilot is the first in what we see as a long-term roadmap of gaming investments to connect with our audience to drive growth for the Chupa Chups brand.”
Rozzi Merrington, head of innovation, Wavemaker UK, added, “Chupa Chups are a truly iconic and market leading brand. We are thrilled to be on this journey with Perfetti and to be helping them take their first steps into the gaming world. They are a dream brand to work with because despite its incredible heritage, they’re always open to trying something new and innovative. Together, we've aligned on this incredibly exciting gaming mission in which we're empowering gen z to authentically express themselves through the powerhouse brand that is Chupa Chups. We’re very excited about the future that is already in development!”
Vas Roberts, EVP - global partnerships, Misfits, said, “Our collaboration with Chupa Chups is a dynamic fusion of creativity and modernity. We're excited to build an experience that echoes the brand's vibrancy. Through this partnership, players can immerse themselves in a colourful environment, express their creativity, and connect with friends while cruising on skates or skateboards. This experience adds a new layer of engagement by enabling players to earn rewards for tricks and tasks, and personalise the streets with paint, all within a joyful and contemporary context."
