Hot Topic Heads Into the Metaverse With Halloween Initiative on 'Roblox'

Hot Topic has announced the launch of Halloween-inspired virtual items on Roblox. For Hot Topic, the Halloween Forever Collection will have exclusive avatar offerings and virtual extensions of IRL clothing items. 

Ten exclusive Halloween-themed Hot Topic designs were made available in Roblox Avatar Shop, with an additional three pop-up shops across game titles, including “The Floor is Lava!”, “Speed Run 4” and “Catalog Outfit Creator!”, titles that collectively share an audience of nearly 3 billion visits. The capsule features digital items synonymous with the Hot Topic brand, including cosplay hats, die-cut sunglasses, figural mini-backpacks and more. Users can buy avatar items directly from the virtual shopping destinations that showcase the campaign including images that feature “Cobra Kai” actor, Mary Mouser, sporting the exclusive black-and-orange sweater, as well as an interactive mannequin.  

The retailer partnered with several Roblox designers including Junozy, StrapCode, MatthewDelRey and 0929lego to bring the existing IRL Halloween designs to life digitally, making them available to players specifically in Roblox. The black-and-orange sweater and beanie with the ’90s throwback Hot Topic logo will be available for purchase in the physical world, in-store and online. 

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To guide the retailer into the metaverse and help to execute the next phase of its strategic offerings, Hot Topic has tapped Super League Gaming, a leader in metaverse gaming and experiences. 

“We’re very excited to launch our Roblox integration,” says Andrea Lewis, vice president, marketing, Hot Topic. “This partnership will allow Hot Topic to create an experience that exemplifies our brand in the metaverse. Dropping this Halloween merch in the Roblox avatar shop while simultaneously offering physical replications of key items online and in Hot Topic stores is a dream scenario to satisfy Hot Topic fandom both in the Roblox ecosystem and IRL.” 

“It was important to choose the right time to launch Hot Topic on Roblox, and Halloween is so important to our customer, we felt like this was a perfect fit,” says Ed LaBay, senior vice president, merchandise and marketing, Hot Topic. “Giving our existing customers and Roblox fans a chance to express themselves in core Hot Topic Halloween fashion is a great first step for us in the virtual world.” 

The Halloween Forever Collection is available now.