Ready player Alpha: Why gaming is the new brand playground

Move over, Gen Z. A new player has entered the arena, and they’ve never known a world without TikTok, iPads, or Minecraft.

Gen Alpha, made up of those born from 2010 onwards, is the most connected, tech-native generation to date. By 2029, they’re projected to be over two billion strong globally, and according to McCrindle Research, they’ll become the largest generation in history, with a combined spending power (via their parents) estimated at US$5.46 trillion annually by 2030.

And they’re not just passively watching content. They’re building worlds in Roblox, attending concerts in Fortnite, and co-creating avatars with brands before they can spell "advertising". Gaming, in particular, has emerged as more than just a digital playground, it’s a gateway to identity, community, and culture.

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Brands are already making moves. In April, McDonald's teamed up with Minecraft to launch limited-time meals and collectibles tied to The Minecraft Movie, bringing pixelated fantasies to life with real-world food, characters, and play. Closer to home, Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) brought Shakespeare to the metaverse with an immersive Macbeth experience on Roblox, targeting a new generation of theatregoers. Even giants such as IKEA, adidas, and Fenty Beauty have entered the game, quite literally.

But as the race to engage Gen Alpha accelerates, one thing is clear: Marketers can’t simply port old playbooks into new worlds. This generation doesn't want to be sold to, they want to play, build, and belong.

So how can brands get it right without becoming the cringe NPC (non-player character) no one invited?

Catch 'em early 

Gen Alpha isn’t just the “next generation”, they’re already a force brands can’t afford to ignore. As Kaveri Khullar, SVP, consumer marketing and sponsorships, Asia Pacific at Mastercard points out, Gen Alpha questions norms, values simplicity, and won’t settle for one-size-fits-all marketing. They’re not spending their own cash yet, but they hold serious sway over family purchasing decisions, making early engagement a smart bet.

"While they navigate the digital world with ease, they also actively seek out in-person experiences to find balance and genuine human connection, a desire that brands must foster," she added. 

For Shivendra Dikshit, senior strategy director at Ogilvy Singapore, who was previously at VaynerMedia, marketing early allows brands to earn a place in their evolving identities, not just their feeds.

Gen Alpha is growing up in a world where the lines between content, community, and commerce are blurred. They don’t just watch content, they shape it, remix it, and live inside it.

This means marketers need to stop broadcasting at them and start inviting them into brand stories that feel native to their digital playgrounds. With screens deeply woven into their lives, from virtual classrooms to social video platforms, interactive content is the name of the game.

Game on: The marketing power of play

If you want to reach Gen Alpha, you’ll have to meet them where they play, inside the worlds of video games. Platforms such as Roblox and Minecraft aren’t just games anymore, they’ve become sprawling digital playgrounds where identity, creativity, and community collide.

Khullar describes them as “vibrant social ecosystems,” offering more than just entertainment, they’re spaces for self-expression, exploration, and even learning. Mastercard picked up on this shift with its “Mastercard gamer exchange,” a platform built on the insight that traditional loyalty programs don’t cut it for today’s digital-first, gaming-savvy consumers.

Instead of the usual air miles and vouchers, the exchange lets players convert loyalty points into in-game credits across popular titles. At the same time, it opens the door for Mastercard’s partner brands to enter the gaming arena, a market that’s booming but often overlooked by conventional rewards programs.

Dikshit agrees that the real power of gaming lies in its immersive, community-driven nature. “These spaces are more than entertainment — they’re cultural hubs where self-expression and community collide,” he said.

That’s why brands need to blend in, not barge in. Instead of dropping in with disruptive ads, he added, marketers should co-create experiences that feel native to the game, think branded skins, custom missions, or entire worlds that enhance the gameplay rather than hijack it.

But first, don't be cringe

Here’s the cold splash of water: Gaming audiences smell inauthenticity from a mile away. Token ad placements or forced brand insertions not only flop, they spark backlash. Dikshit warns against treating gamers like a monolith.

“This generation is hyper-individualised, with unique interests and subcultures that thrive within each game, platform, and fandom. Brands often misstep by coming in too broad or too forced, which alienates rather than engages," he said.

Khullar echoed this, stating the brands that succeed in gaming truly get the culture and show up with real value, whether that’s hooking players up with real-life experiences, game credits, virtual gear, or investing in the gamer and creator community through skill-building platforms.

Regulatory hurdles also loom large, especially for sensitive segments such as underage audiences or alcohol brands navigating age restrictions. While Gen Alpha may still be years away from legal drinking age, Shaun Lim, commercial development manager at Heineken APAC, noted that one of the key challenges brands face when entering the gaming space is navigating the sheer volume and variety of titles and platforms available.

"Identifying the right game or platform, one that aligns with the brand’s values and resonates authentically with the intended audience is crucial for relevance and long-term impact," he added. 

Show me the XP: The future of gaming and marketing

Forget clicks and impressions alone, ROI in gaming demands a more nuanced lens. Lim urges brands to blend hard metrics such as engagement, time spent, and branded asset interactions with softer indicators such as community sentiment and cultural relevance.

Similarly, Dikshit argues that traditional metrics such as impressions and reach only scratch the surface when measuring gaming ROI. He also noted the importance of cultural impact, pointing out that when a brand becomes part of memes, user-generated content, and online conversations, it shows meaningful influence beyond simple view counts.

It’s less about broadcasting at scale and more about embedding meaningfully in the moments that matter.

Dikshit paints a picture of “persistent digital worlds”, always-on spaces where storytelling, commerce, and identity seamlessly fuse, giving Gen Alpha room to play, create, and connect entirely on their terms.

Lim sees the next five years ramping up the intensity, especially in e-sports. As the space gets more competitive and platforms grow increasingly sophisticated, AI will be the real game-changer, transforming everything from how experiences are designed to how players are engaged.

Khullar envisions marketing becoming more immersive and narrative-led, with branded quests, virtual worlds, and co-created content becoming the norm.

"The rise of technologies like AI and mixed reality will unlock even more personalized and dynamic experiences, allowing brands to adapt in real time based on a player’s choices or behavior," she said. 

However, tech isn’t the only consideration, trust still matters. Especially when marketing to Gen Alpha, Khullar noted the importance of working in step with parents to balance screen time with meaningful real-world engagement.

"Those brands that continue to build trust, contribute meaningfully, and evolve alongside players and the wider community will stand out in a space that’s only getting bigger and more influential," she said. 

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