CHANGING THE GAME: SPECSAVERS LAUNCHES BRAND NEW ROBLOX OBBY

Specsavers has launched a new Roblox Obstacle Course (Obby) to drive awareness among Gen Alpha

Specsavers has unveiled the ‘Specsavers Obby’, a new branded obstacle course game and virtual merchandise giveaway on Roblox, marking the high-street retailer’s commitment to educating younger generations and continued steps into the gaming space.

A UK market first for the optical industry, the partnership is in collaboration with pioneering game development studio Dubit and Specsavers’ social media agency, Tangerine, and has brought the iconic Specsavers brand into three highly popular Roblox games: Super Fun Obby, Chill Obby, and Ultimate Easy Obby, all developed by games production group, Banana Studios.

As part of the five Specsavers’ levels, players will be able to interact with branded virtual items from the retailer and have the chance to collect 10 limited edition Specsavers’ themed UGC (User-Generated Content) items, including glasses, hearing aids and even a Snellen Chart sandwich board, which players can opt to equip their avatars with throughout the Roblox universe.

Within the first five days of being live, the game has proven to be incredibly popular, garnering over 220,000 UK plays, with over 50,000 UGC items redeemed in the first ten hours of the Specsavers Obby hitting the platform.

The unique obby features numerous eye and ear-based obstacles for players to overcome, question gates relating to health messaging and advice from in-game optometrists. Players also have to navigate a maze using hearing cues to help them navigate to the exit.

Recognising Roblox’s vast potential and appeal, Specsavers aims to expand its reach and connect with a demographic increasingly drawn to digital entertainment and engagement.

Lisa Hale, Head of Consumer PR, Brand Activation & Social Media at Specsavers, said of the partnership: “We’re always looking for new ways to engage with our customers and share relevant health messaging in easy, yet creative ways. So, we’re excited to get involved with the Roblox community and take our first step into the gaming world.

“This collaboration allows us to connect with younger audiences in an interactive way, that will feel completely natural to them. Conditions such as digital eye strain and myopia have all become more prevalent over recent years, so we want to encourage gamers of all ages, to look after their most valuable pieces of gaming equipment – their eyes and ears.”

With over 355 million monthly active users, Roblox represents a pivotal market for Specsavers to interact with younger audiences, including Gen Alpha, engaging with them in an immersive and interactive manner.

“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Specsavers on this innovative project,” said Matthew Warneford, CEO at Dubit. “Roblox’s immersive platform allows brands like Specsavers to authentically connect with notoriously hard-to-reach younger users, fostering meaningful interactions and experiences.”

Mary Harding, Joint CEO at Tangerine finished by saying: “As a social agency, we’re always looking to innovate our offering and work with partners who want to push boundaries in their respective spaces. Specsavers and Roblox might not seem the most obvious fit, but when we explored the possibilities, it became clear that this was the perfect way to reach the Gen Alpha, in a natural space for them.”