NY Liberty and Xbox Use Roblox to Promote Women in Sports

Microsoft's Xbox partnered with the New York Liberty and Brooklyn Nets parent company BSE Global earlier this year with two goals: drive conversation and awareness for both brands, while shining the light from Lady Liberty's torch on women's sports. Those initial goals have been satisfied. And that's paved the way for a unique partnership activation: the WNBA's first-ever gaming-themed court at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. Accented in Xbox's signature lime green color along the baseline and sidelines, the court was used in back-to-back games against the Los Angeles Sparks on Aug. 2 and 3. Inside the court were green dots resembling the vents from the Xbox Series X, the most recent console model. The court was also stenciled with sonic waves in both Xbox green and Liberty seafoam. The activation also had a digital component, allowing Roblox players to access a Dunking Simulator game on an identical court. "We're fairly new to Barclays Center, and reaching and generating awareness in New York City is our primary goal right now," New York Liberty CEO Keia Clarke told Adweek. "Growing the fan base and reaching new fans [especially] young fans is a part of that strategic initiative. Entering the metaverse, meeting kids where they are, was something that honestly we could do very seamlessly with partners like Roblox and Xbox." Roblox's average daily active users reached 52.2 million through June 30, up 21% YoY, according to the brand's Q2 earnings. Roughly half of Roblox users are under the age of 12. The green dots in the paint resemble the vents from the Xbox's latest model, the Xbox Series X. A rare intersection for sports and gaming Xbox senior global sports partnerships manager Chris Munson said the brand is actively defying conventional storytelling within sports. "Sports is a great vehicle for us because there are some fantastic brands out there, whom when they match up with Xbox some great, amazing ideas can come to life," he added. The activation drew 3.3 million visits as of Aug. 12 to the Dunking Simulator per a Roblox spokesperson and hundreds of thousands of hours played in the game, Clarke said. An 11-year old sports journalist, Pepper Persley, advised Xbox and the Liberty on features within the Roblox game including pyrotechnics, fireworks and fan chants. "The gaming space continues to be a gateway to open up opportunities to bring people in who may be nontraditional or casual fans," sports marketing expert and Columbia University professor Joe Favorito said. "You have to constantly look for how your level of engagement continues to grow, without sacrificing your core fans." Emphasis on women's sports The partnership with the Liberty is part of a much broader campaign by Xbox titled "Power Her Dreams" to highlight women's sports. For every written dream submission on the Power Her Dreams site, Xbox donated $10 to one of two nonprofits, Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation and Girls Who Code. "For us, women's sports is everything of what we're trying to do," Munson said. "We feel like we have a small voice in the push for more inclusion for women's sports in general." Xbox worked on an activation with the WNBA's Atlanta Dream last week, and has also partnered with England and France's women’s national soccer teams. https://twitter.com/nyliberty/status/1554457475805478912 Clarke thinks the activation could have a huge impact on the next generation of players. "I'm actually super excited about what this could mean for kids across the country or the world who may not have exposure to see women in that light," Clarke said. "To have this feeling of women's empowerment where it isn't just the men, that you can see a young lady playing in a game, dunking in a game on a WNBA court, a Liberty court, it's very specific to us. I think there's something really empowering about that." Keeping a nontraditional strategy Favorito mentioned that the WNBA often has been an early adopter of new rules on the court as well as marketing strategies off the court as essentially a test case for the NBA, and could lead to similar activations for men's sports in the future. "The WNBA has the advantage in being a little bit more disruptive and proactive when it comes to finding unique ways to amplify partnerships," Favorito said. For Clarke, what stood out about the activation was how it was not promoted much ahead of its debut. She said the gaming category often features surprises in its marketing, and the Liberty and Xbox wanted to use that strategy for the new court. "It created a lot of buzz, a lot of shock and awe, a lot of surprise for many, many folks in and outside of our ecosystem," she added. "A lot of our marketing is very much focused on leading into big moments. I have a new appreciation for surprise and delight that occurred with this partner and with this activation." Brands Are Scrambling to Get Onto Roblox. Is It Worth It?

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Rafael Canton