Furby was back with new features and ready to be loved by a new generation; the only problem was this new generation had no idea it existed. Furby may have reigned supreme in the 90s, but it had fallen off the radar in the 2020s. Our challenge was to not only introduce a new generation to a toy beloved by millennials, but get Generation Alpha to create their own love for Furby.
Being digital natives, Gen A learns about toys differently than other generations. Parents reported the primary way their kids learned about new toys was online. We knew in order to create love for the toy, we couldn’t just tell Gen A girls about Furby’s features - we needed to allow them to experience them. We set out to gamify Furby’s features in the go-to place for Gen A girls - Roblox. With nearly 50% of Roblox’s 216 million monthly average users being under 13 years old, we knew Roblox gave us the audience and tools to make Furby famous to a new generation.
To bring this project to life, our first step was to find the right Roblox game – one that had a large user base of Gen Alpha girls. Given this criteria, Club Roblox became the clear choice with its 1.5 million daily active users and audience that was 70% female and 60% under 13. The game's roleplay genre aligned with our vision, offering a setting akin to digital dress-up or house play, reminiscent of traditional Furby interactions. Next, we needed to identify how to integrate.
Humans, especially kids, love patterns. They provide a sense of order, predictability, and familiarity. It is why kids often ask to watch the same movie. Knowing what will happen is comforting and fun. The same is true with gaming. Patterns establish consistent game mechanics, rules, and behaviors.
After speaking to developers, we learned the game's core pattern was the weekly 'Mainstage Item Drop.' Within the center of the town lies a stage (i.e., the “mainstage”) which is where all weekly drops occur. For players, this has become the single most anticipated feature of the game. Before drops, players line up and watch a clock countdown to zero. Once it does, a range of items (pets, clothes, houses) appear on the stage. Players dash to collect the items (e.g., an Orca pet to a Scandinavian mansion). The weekly drop is more than an update – it's the pattern that drives gameplay. Players expect these drops, which they then incorporate into their roleplay adventures!
To integrate into these play patterns, we had Furby take over the Mainstage Item Drop, which included items like a Furby “pet” and Clubhouse. To access items, players were transported from the mainstage to a new location that contained the Clubhouse. Upon arrival, players redeemed their Furby before exploring and decorating the Clubhouse. This integration was one component of the larger 25th Furby Anniversary campaign, which included a new Furby song and music video. To tie back to these themes, we offered items like a Furby-shaped dance floor, boombox, and soundstage, which players could keep in their inventories forever. Meaning, that even after the activation is over, players can return to the Clubhouse, or use the dance floor and boombox to decorate existing houses they own.
In terms of challenges, during concepting, Roblox revised its policy on how brands engage with players under 13. We had two choices -- adapt or walk away. We chose to accept the challenge, shifting from simply advertising Furby to creating an immersive experience inspired by Furby's real-life functionalities and a quirky personality.
By weaving Furby into Club Roblox's existing play patterns, we created an experience that resonated with our target audience and left a lasting impact beyond the campaign's conclusion.
This campaign not only exceeded our expectations, it set new benchmarks for future SuperAwesome campaigns. By gamifying the elements of Furby, we didn’t just introduce Furby to a new generation, but turned Furby into their new best friend.
Introduce Furby to a new generation:
Turned Furby into their BFF:
Overall, this activation saw a 16% play rate, a massive increase against internal SuperAwesome benchmarks of 2 to 5%. Our activation was amplified with fun, compliant and appropriate influencer content, which saw over 3 million views and 43,779 hours of watch time.
This campaign contributed to Furby having the second highest growth in the plush category for 2023.
