Vans, the skateboarding shoe company, has launched Vans Roblox skatepark experience that will feature shops and locations from around the world.
Here’s something to try if you are bored with Fortnite: Vans World. It is a new skateboarding park for adventure enthusiasts who want to hone their skateboarding skills while trying on a new collection from Vans. Starting from Tuesday, the 46 million users of Roblox will be able to experience an interactive environment to practice their off a half-pie, ollie, and kick-flip without the hassle of going to the actual skatepark.
Players can skateboard in one of the most prominent skating locations in the world from the comfort of their homes. The skatepark will include shops to help players find custom wheels and decks, customizable Vans sneakers and apparel, and fresh Vans gear.
Some items in the Roblox skate park are free while others can be purchased through Robux, a Roblox currency. Besides the sneakers, other items bought in the skatepark can become a part of other gaming worlds within Roblox metaverse.
Vans worked with The Gang Stockholm, a team of developers who created the Tapping Simulator. The project is inspired by the other Vans projects, including Vans Off The Wall Skatepark in Huntington Beach, California, and House Of Vans.
In the recent past, many brands and artists have experimented with the idea of virtual reality with Gucci Garden that sold a virtual bag for around $4,000, and Lil Nas’s virtual performance that drew nearly 36 million viewers. However, Vans World is here to stay among the 20 million games within Roblox. According to Julia Patkowski, senior manager of global brand digital marketing at Vans: “We didn’t build this to be there for two weeks. We plan on building and learning from the community and updating it and creating a true, unique experience that evolves with what we hear from the community.”
Vans aims to do more than build an interactive gaming experience; the company wants to engage with its customers, listen to their feedback, and improve. Christina Wootton, vice president of brand partnerships at Roblox, explained the aim behind the partnership saying, “We know with Gen Z, they do not want to be told what to wear, what to do. They really want to be part of the process and have the brand listen to their feedback. So this is a great opportunity for brands to really be engaged with that consumer and fan in a way that they can’t really do anywhere else.”
He further added, “Brands should be thinking about this as you do with social media. You launch a channel on social platforms, and you don’t just post once and expect your followers to stay there and be engaged. You really have to think of it as a commitment.”
With the Vans Roblox skatepark experience, Vans will create a long-lasting engagement with its customers, where they could try new shoes, give feedback, and continue to help the company produce products that Gen Z wants to see.
Metaverse is a growing trend, and Vans is one of the many brands to jump on it. Earlier, Mark Zuckerberg announced his plans to extend Facebook into a metaverse while brands like Louboutin and Louis Vuitton launched their own virtual reality experiences.
What are your favorite online gaming and virtual experiences so far? Do you enjoy metaverse experiences? Let us know in the comments below.