Roblox, which is the online game platform with multiple storefronts, hosts a multimedia “block party” for musical romance “In the Heights” creating a movie promotion set in a virtual world. Warner Bros. Pictures will premiere PG-13-rated “In the Heights” in theaters June 11.
A press release says the Launch Party brings music, dance, and Latin American culture together in a virtual re-creation of the movie’s iconic Washington Heights neighborhood with two events:
* The Lights Out Party with a cast Q&A, exclusive movie clips and free virtual merchandise to be used exclusively in the experience starting June 10 at 10 a.m. PDT.
* The “largest Virtual Flash Mob in history” — a virtual dance party in which the Roblox community will perform a special synchronized, choreographed dance together on June 11 at 6 p.m. EDT.
Roblox says it has 2 million active users, but non-members might find the “In the Heights” world difficult to navigate as first-time users.
UPDATE Opening Boxoffice Disappoints
June 15, 2021 — “In the Heights” grossed a disappointing $11.4 million domestically its opening weekend June 11-13, despite large advertising and marketing support from Warner Bros. Pictures. Some $15 million to $20 million in boxoffice was forecast by tracking surveys, in a wide miss. The core Latino audience came out but no significant crossover to other audience demographics. Let me add the marketing messaging a-love-letter-to-the-old-neighborhood struck me as too goodie-goodie.
Prizes and rewards generally part of the experience using Roblox, which is a social media vehicle as well as a virtual world serving the broad consumer market. “Get Robux to purchase upgrades for your avatar or buy special abilities in experiences,” says the web site. “Robux” (“bux” for bucks, or money) is in-game currency. Enhanced experience is enabled on la carte basis via Robux tokens for purchase or a monthly subscription ($4.99-$19.99 … the online world loves the subscription pay model, which was popularized by Netflix). “In the Heights” gives some of this virtual loot for free.
The “Heights” block party is a tie-in promotion since it relies on a third-party (Roblox); digital media because it is planted in a virtual world; an activation because it requires consumers to sign on; and generates publicity in digital media.
A press release calls the “Heights” virtual block party “first-of-its-kind,” though movies have fiddled with the virtual worlds in the past. In 2010, animated “Megamind” partnered for a virtual world planted in FarmVille, which is a digital-media platform that has since faded. Years ago, virtual worlds were promised for the long-gestating “Avatar” movie sequel, whose theatrical premiere keeps getting delayed. Right now, “Avatar 2” is penciled in for Dec. 22, 2022.
The “In the Heights” movie adapts a stage play celebrating Puerto Rican culture and residents in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. It’s from Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is creator of blockbuster stage musical “Hamilton,” and “Crazy, Rich Asians” director John Chu.
Roblox dates back to 1989 as an online video platform initially with boxy block animation. Today, the San Mateo, Cal.-based company is more polished with 2 million users, bills itself as “the architects of play” and encourages third-party developers to build virtual experiences (such as “In the Heights”) placed on its platform. Its equity shares trade on the NYSE with a $53 billion stock market capitalization.
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