Reflecting a goal of expanding children’s sales, Nike announced today a partnership with popular online children’s gaming platform Roblox on a new location called Nikeland. With buildings and fields inspired by Nike’s Beaverton headquarters, games range from tag to dodgeball to a challenge called “The Floor Is Lava.”
In an effort to encourage movement, which underscores Nike’s latest marketing message expanding the concept of athletes beyond sports, visitors to Nikeland visitors can make use of accelerometers in their mobile devices to translate offline movement to online play. For example, a player can move her/his device and body in real life to execute in-game moves like long jumps or speed runs.
Naturally, Nikeland includes a showroom where players can outfit their avatars with Nike’s Mercurial soccer shoe, Air Force 1 Fontanka and Air Max 2021.
The Nikeland announcement follows on heels of news in November that Nike had filed for multiple trademarks, laying the ground work for branded virtual sneakers and apparel.
Nike previously collaborated with Roblox in 2019 with a month-long event celebrating the release of the AirMax 720 silhouette. The partnership allowed players access to three avatars outfitted in the brand’s AirMax 720 Throwback Future Air sneakers.
Roblox recently reported third-quarter revenues of $509.3 million, up 102 percent over the prior year. The stock jumped up 33 percent on the news.
Nikeland is free (for now) to visit and is now accessible at roblox.com/nikeland.
