Advertising to children is strictly regulated – but household brands are
flooding the gaming platform Roblox with interactive marketing. Is this a danger
to young users?
In the blocky world of Chipotle Burrito Builder, players don the uniform of the
Tex-Mex restaurant chain to make burritos for virtual customers. The available
toppings are taken from Chipotle’s real-world menu. Your shirt and cap are
emblazoned with the Chipotle logo. And when the game launched two years ago, the
first 100,000 players could earn “Burrito Bucks” to exchange for a prize on
Chipotle’s website.
Then there’s Hyundai Mobility Adventure that lets you test-drive models of the
Korean manufacturer’s cars. Samsung Galaxy Station gives you a mock-up of the
company’s latest smartphone to take around extraterrestrial worlds. Telefónica
Town challenges you to climb an assault course built of products from the
telecommunication giant’s catalogue. Vans World simply hands you a skateboard
with which to bust a few kickflips across a park plastered with the shoe
manufacturer’s logo.
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