Chupa Chups entered gaming with a Roblox skate park built for tricks and self-expression

Gaming was territory Chupa Chups had 'had its eyes on for a while', but the fast-moving ecosystem made choosing where to start hard. Gen Z players make up more than half of Roblox's global audience, and Wavemaker research found Gen Z sees gaming platforms as places to express themselves and build communities.

A Roblox world where skating tricks earn rewards to spend on art and avatar outfits — creative self-expression as the brand mechanic, not product placement.

Two Wavemaker UK teams (Applied Innovation & Sports, and Live & Gaming) built the experience with Pixel Playground, the studio owned by Misfits Gaming Group: players traverse a brightly coloured brand world on skates or skateboards, perform tricks to earn rewards, and spend them in a themed in-game shop on 'art' or custom avatar outfits, with new items, areas and activities unlocking over time. It launched on 31 August, UK first.

The first activation of its type for Wavemaker and the first step in Chupa Chups' self-described long-term gaming roadmap; no player numbers were disclosed at launch.

Lollipop brand Chupa Chups, owned by Perfetti Van Melle, made its entry into gaming with the Roblox experience 'Chupa Chups: Skate & Create', produced with Wavemaker UK — the first activation of its type for the agency.

Pixel Playground, a studio owned by entertainment and lifestyle company Misfits Gaming Group, partnered two Wavemaker teams to build it. Using their Roblox avatars, players traverse the brightly coloured brand world via skates or skateboards and perform 'tricks' to earn rewards, which can be spent in Chupa Chups' themed in-game shop to purchase 'art' or custom avatar outfits. Over time, new items, areas and activities unlock.

The goal was to empower Gen Z players through 'creative expression' — a fit Chupa Chups backed with a Deloitte study finding 98% of the UK's Gen Z spends an average of 4.7 days a week gaming, and Wavemaker research showing Gen Z treats gaming platforms as places to express themselves and build communities. 'This gaming pilot is the first in what we see as a long-term roadmap of gaming investments,' said brand manager Kim McMahon.

The reward loop mirrors the product's promise — playful creativity — instead of just skinning a game with lolly colours.

Starting in Roblox put the brand where more than half the audience is already Gen Z, with community and self-expression baked into the platform.

Framing it as a pilot with a roadmap let a confectionery brand test and learn in gaming without betting its media budget on one shot.

Enter games as a mechanic, not a billboard: let players earn and express rather than watch, and the brand world can sustain content drops, events and licensing later.

Chupa Chups said it plans to further develop its brand world in Roblox with Wavemaker and Misfits, testing potential real-life events, seasonal content drops and licensing alignments, with rollout from the UK to additional markets.