Beauty brand essence launched its first Roblox game essence FUN PARK – a dream-like world where kindness is an essential tool to save the world. The cosnova-owned brand released the game in June 2023 as part of the brand’s pride campaign. With essence FUN PARK, the brand is taking its first step onto the Roblox platform and is pursuing long-term plans in order to draw attention to important, social issues in a playful way. The approach of combining the game and the real world by supporting a charity with a donation to stand up for the LGBTQIA+ community is unique.
A colorful game in the spirit of pride and diversity
essence FUN PARK, developed in collaboration with global digital agency DEPT®, focuses on the themes of identity and diversity and reflects the brand’s mission to “Make Beauty Fun”. Together with the main character Lash Princess – inspired by the essence bestseller Lash Princess Mascara – players experience a colorful, happy world with their individualized avatars. But on the horizon waits a dark grey storm that embodies all that is bad in the world, such as bullying and violence. The Lash Princess stands by the users and explains the game’s mission: „Let’s dare to make the world colorful again.“
The game captures the spirit of the times: In a world full of crises, users can playfully achieve something positive in reality with the help of essence FUN PARK. essence is planning numerous charity actions and wants to support exactly where help is needed. Together with the LGBTQIA+ agency „Mixx“, two charities are selected that really make a difference to the community.
The charity mechanics of the game are that the players together make a world that keeps turning grey colorful again. There will be four community days, on which the users will be given a time limit to defeat the grey in the world. If this goal is reached together, the players will win a donation for the selected charities.
The potential to connect with Gen Z and Alpha through gaming is massive. When developing the game with DEPT®, we first and foremost asked ourselves: What moves those generations? After extensive research and knowledge sharing, DEPT® conducted user research with qualitative interviews of Roblox players. As a conclusion, diversity, kindness, and the freedom to be yourself whenever and in whatever setting were our main drivers. The game mechanics and tasks are designed to celebrate those values that are also elemental to the cosnova company. ‚essence FUN PARK‘ wants to promote the attitude that kindness is the strongest weapon – in the game as well as in real life.
Constance Stein, Senior Manager Digital Marketing Growth & Trends, cosnova
How it works: With kindness and color against a grey world of discrimination
At the beginning of the game, users have numerous options to beautify their personal avatar, their virtual self: from rainbow-hair to pride-capes and unique essence fashion & make-up styles. Diversity and self-love are already brought into focus during avatar creation – because everyone is unique in this world.
The core of the game is to color the houses and surroundings with different painting tools and make gray NPCs (non-player characters) colorful and happy again. They can also help other users who have been hit by the gray storm and complete different tasks. Without anticipating too much: when everything gray in the world has been defeated, there will be a mega event for all players. The lovingly designed world and the many activities, so-called side quests, make the game a unique experience. Above all, the storytelling that is woven in again and again, with a focus on togetherness and diversity, is a main USP of the game.
What makes essence FUN PARK so fantastic is not only a beautiful, peaceful game world, but also that we have used user insights to create an experience tailored to the needs of the target group. To make the gaming experience even more unique, we use custom 3D assets that are not based on the usual Roblox design toolbox and highlight the essence brand and what it stands for.
Jennifer Henke, Product Design Lead UX at DEPT®
Different from other roblox games
essence FUN PARK is characterized by its charity mechanics and the intention to increase awareness for diversity and self-love. Also, this game does not aim to monetize itself. Users cannot therefore spend Robux, the platform’s currency, to buy stronger painting tools, for example. This was a conscious decision – the same conditions for everyone. Instead, they can collect and earn essence coins, which will help them in their colorful mission. ‚essence FUN PARK‚ offers a friendly world that is safe for players of all ages.
This is not the end of the story: “After this great start, further Roblox activations are planned. essence sees many opportunities in this area to also raise awareness of other social issues and to educate and sensitize players.”, emphasizes Thorsten Mühl, Chief Digital Marketing & Experience Office (CXO), cosnova.