By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
Barbie and Forever 21 fans are trending on Tik Tok by posting videos of themselves with their avatars on Roblox, as part of the Forever 21 Shop City metaverse project.
The partnership, forged by Virtual Brands Group (VBG), has been among the most successful metaverse licensing projects to date. In fact, VBG and Forever 21 won the Licensing International award for Best Licensed Product in the category of Digital: Apps, Software, Video Games, and NFTs.
It was the first time a metaverse project won a Licensing International Award.
Essentially, VBG and Forever 21 created a Roblox experience in which users can create their own Forever 21 stores, and even sell merchandise. The team also partnered with Barbie, as a sort of super virtual influencer, creating Barbie-inspired fashions that are available both as virtual and real-life fashion products.
Last month, VBG and its partners unveiled the limited-edition Forever 21 x Barbie collection in-store, online, and in the metaverse, including a range of on-trend vintage style apparel items, swim and sleepwear, beauty, and accessories, as well as home décor – all inspired by the Barbie DreamHouse. The collection is available in-store, online, and in Forever 21 Shop City on Roblox.
Forever 21 now has the top retail store on the Roblox platform.
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That in turn inspired a Tik Tok trend, in which fans are buying clothes for both their Roblox avatar and for themselves, and then posting videos under the #TwinWithYourAvatar hashtag. As a result, VBG, Barbie and Forever 21 have expanded on their Forever 21 Shop City metaverse project, with a new contest called the “Twin with Your Avatar” Giveaway.
A launch video can be seen on TikTok at this LINK, and you can find other videos from fans by searching TwinWithYourAvatar on the platform.
Participants can join the contest via a landing page on Gleam and enter by taking eight steps. The contest is designed to help spread the word about the Forever 21 Shop City program on Roblox.
After entering contact details, participants take seven steps to complete their entry, including uploading a Twin With Your Avatar photo, a video, Follow the program on Instagram, share a VBG post, invite a friend, comment on a VBG post, and like a VBG post.
“People can also enter on Twitter without signing by performing the social behaviors thanks to a partnership with GlowLabs, a platform that allows you to engage in earning rewards in web3,” said VBG in a statement.
In return, the grand prize winner will get a Forever 21 shopping spree worth $1500 and 100,000 Robucks, an in-game Roblox currency that would equate to about $350. More importantly for Roblox entrepreneurs, VBG will work with the winner to create a virtual fashion line inspired by the winner’s real-world favorite clothes and make that personalized line available to anyone worldwide to buy on Roblox.
Other winners will take home Forever 21 gift cards and varying amounts of Robucks.