essence levels up its glam game with new Roblox experience

essence is doubling down on immersive gaming to connect with Gen Z and Gen Alpha where they play. The beauty brand is expanding its "Kingdom of essentia" experience on Roblox with a new summer island, its first monetised emote, and an on-ground showcase at Gamescom Germany.

The brand’s "Sunshine shores" update marks the next phase of its digital playbook, blending beauty, gaming and community to reward creativity and self-expression. Built together with partners Jung von Matt NERD, ALFR3D and GEEIQ, the new island lets players build sandcastles, unlock unique designs, and collect coins guided by a new guardian princess, Solara, all inspired by the "Juicy bomb" campaign.

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Adding a new twist to how beauty brands monetise virtual worlds, essence will launch its first premium emote on Roblox later this month. With fewer than 150 emotes on the platform, of which most are paid, the essence Emote offers fans a fresh way to show mood, attitude and identity inside the game. The animation, priced at 75 Robux, features subtle branding and will feed back into the community through reinvested rewards and events.

In addition, essence will become the first colour cosmetics brand to exhibit at Gamescom 2025 in Germany with a 100sqm immersive booth bringing "Kingdom of essentia" to life. The activation builds on past IRL gaming events such as Dokomi and Gamescom Latam, as essence continues to stake its claim at the intersection of beauty, gaming and fandom.

“Roblox is a platform where younger audiences, particularly Gen Z and Gen Alpha, spend significant time socialising, playing, and expressing themselves. For beauty brands, it offers a unique opportunity to authentically connect with this demographic in an interactive and immersive way," said Sebastian Romanus, cosnova´s director of digital brand and community experience.

"The platform aligns perfectly with essence's values of diversity, creativity, and self-expression, allowing us to engage with our audience in a playful and meaningful manner.”, explained Romanus. 

This move comes as Roblox ramps up its appeal for marketers through new ad formats and big-brand tie-ups.

The platform recently partnered Google to launch 'Rewarded video' ads, letting brands reach Gen Z users with skippable, opt-in ads that trade viewing time for in-game rewards. Early tests show completion rates topping 80%, a sign that players see these ads as additive to their experience.

WPP has also expanded its partnership with Roblox to help brands unlock immersive media at scale, as Gen Z’s appetite for gaming and virtual goods grows.

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