The start of every school year marks an increase in young people’s anxiety and fears of bullying. This is especially true for those with a disability - including the 34M+ kids around the world with hearing loss, many of whom wear hearing aids. Often feeling ostracized by their peers, this stigma can affect their confidence and willingness to speak up about their needs.
There is still much more to be done to increase awareness and normalize hearing aid representation. That’s why Soundly, a first-of-its-kind hearing health marketing place, set out to change the conversation on hearing loss and reduce stigma by helping young people see themselves reflected in the mediums they love. And the one place that we know kids are turning to is one of the top global gaming platforms - Roblox.
With more than 50M+ users worldwide, Roblox is one of the most popular platforms for young people right now. However, while there’s thousands of glasses available for personalizing avatars, that’s not the case for hearing aids.
In the summer of 2022, Soundly decided to change that with an exclusive hearing aid collection designed especially for Roblox. With a goal of driving brand awareness and positive media/social conversation, we set out to help kids feel seen on their favorite gaming platform, and have a little fun with it, too!
Our team sought to raise awareness and break the stigma surrounding hearing loss, as well as encourage disability representation, especially among young people.
In order to achieve this, Soundly launched the first collection of hearing aids on Roblox, one of the most popular gaming platforms for young people. The fun and whimsical accessories were designed to help young people express their identities to the fullest, while educating others about the importance of disability inclusivity. For every hearing aid sold on Roblox at launch, 100% of the proceeds were donated to Unicef, a cause that actively supplies hearing aids to children and adults.
The team generated over 100 design ideas and ultimately landed on a collection of statement pieces that players could get excited about wearing on their Roblox avatars. From Hot Pink to Pegasus Wings, players could purchase the aids for 50 “Robux”, and the response was immediately positive. Comments like “Many people have hearing problems and play roblox…beautiful cause!” and “so happy to see more representation for hearing aids!!” began rolling in as soon as the line was released.
Media loved the collection, too. From AdAge ranking the initiative as the number one campaign to watch right now and gaming outlet VRSource noting that the “fresh designs will give young people an opportunity to design an avatar that looks like them,” the campaign garnered over 70M+ earned media and social impressions for Soundly and its cause.
Within 24 hours the collection sparked thousands of player engagements across Roblox, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
The launch was just the start. Today when players search for hearing aids in the Roblox avatar shop they see bright and imaginative designs.
AdAge called the new collection “the #1 Campaign to Know About”, VRSource noted that the “fresh designs will give young people an opportunity to design an avatar that looks like them,” and PCGames said the effort would “help foster representation and expression on the platform”.
In all, the campaign earned 70M+ media impressions and helped Soundly establish itself as a leader in the hearing health category.
The campaign ultimately helped Soundly notch 103% month over month visitor growth.
