Our Mattel clients asked us to create a Gen Z-focused Roblox activation that reintroduced the classic Barbie DreamHouse IP to a gaming-first audience.
Our deliverable was Barbie Dream Search', a social, cooperative Roblox experience designed to re-introduce iconic Barbie toys through playful discovery and collaboration. The core objective was to create a low-barrier, high-engagement branded playable that invites players to work together to find missing pieces of the DreamHouse, Dream Camper, and Dream Pool, then rebuild them in a shared Malibu-inspired environment.
What makes Barbie Dream Search unique in the medium is its balance of authentic IP representation, social-first gameplay, and rewarded progression—positioning the brand as an active, playful world rather than a static integration. The experience was intentionally designed as a scalable, campaign-focused activation that demonstrates how major brands can enter Roblox with high polish, strong cultural alignment, and measurable performance.
Our team was focused on bringing IRL Barbie 'play' onto the Roblox platform. First, we broke down how children interact with the Mattel toys in real life and deconstructed it into its base mechanics for representation on the Roblox platform.
The resulting experience translates Barbie’s themes of creativity, optimism, and self-expression into a “find it, build it” game loop that requires players to build the iconic toys and emphasizes teamwork over competition. Players roller-skate across Malibu Beach, complete weekly quests, and earn free limited Barbie UGC, reinforcing repeat visits and long-term brand affinity without paywalls.
Core challenges included making Roblox native gameplay that was fun for players but easy enough for Mattel's core demographic (5-7 year olds) to understand.
In its one-month activation, Barbie Dream Search achieved the following:
2.5M visits;
98% like ratio (top 5 branded experience ever by like ratio);
148K+ players joined the Barbie Dream Search community;
9-minute average playtime;
15K peak concurrent users.
The project showcases how branded playables can meaningfully engage Roblox’s audience, Gen Z audience, while amplifying iconic products through social discovery and shared creation.
