Dive Brief:

• Hilton is making its first foray into the metaverse with a branded integration inside Paris Hilton’s Slivingland world on Roblox, according to details shared with Marketing Dive.
• An immersive Hilton hotel lobby in Roblox allows users to earn free digital wearables and real-world perks like upgraded Hilton Honors status and Hilton Honors Points through in-game challenges. To boost the effort, Hilton recreated a recent commercial using Roblox avatars.
• Developed with Paris Hilton’s 11:11 Media entertainment company, the activation demonstrates brands are still exploring ways to connect the metaverse to real-world rewards even as the technology has lost some of its early appeal.

Dive Insight:

Hilton is making a major foray into the metaverse with help from one of its best-known ambassadors, heiress and media executive Paris Hilton. The effort signals that there is still room for growth in the metaverse despite the hype around the space losing ground to emerging tech like generative artificial intelligence in the last few years.

“We are always looking for meaningful ways to engage our Hilton Honors members and connect with new travelers. There’s no better advocate and champion of the Hilton Stay, than Paris Hilton,” said Hilton CMO Mark Weinstein in a statement. 

Central to the activation is a metaverse-to-real-world element that allows users to complete immersive challenges to earn Hilton Honors perks. The hospitality company will give away more than 12 million Hilton Honors Points as part of the campaign: 111 winners will receive 111,111 points, while 11 additional winners will receive Diamond Tier Status for a year.

The strategy marks one of the first loyalty program activations on Roblox, showing a way brands can translate virtual experiences into tangible value. Users of X, formerly Twitter, who post the hashtag #HiltonForTheStay will receive an additional entry into the giveaway. Aside from loyalty perks, the campaign will dole out 50,000 digital wearables, including “Hilton Honors Harajuku Antlers,” for free. 

The campaign brings Hilton’s “It Matters Where You Stay” national advertising campaign and “Hilton. For the Stay” global brand platform to Roblox by recreating a commercial starring Paris that was released in October frame-by-frame using the platform’s avatars — a first for a brand and one of the first commercials to launch as part of Roblox’s immersive video ads rollout.

Paris’ Roblox world, Slivingland, received over 1 million visitors in the first 30 days of launch, with 97% of traffic organic. Users are spending an average of 25 minutes per session, per figures shared by 11:11 Media.

Launched in 2022, “For the Stay” intends to serve as the hospitality marketer’s answer to iconic taglines like Nike’s “Just Do It,” Weinstein previously told Marketing Dive’s sister publication Hotel Dive. Along with appearing in ads for Hilton, Paris has recently been enlisted for marketing efforts for brands including Taco Bell and Klarna that are looking to tap into Y2K nostalgia.