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“Self-expression and creativity” are what connect Coach and Roblox

In our Coach interview, we got the chance to chat to the fashion house’s VP Marketing for North America about the recent Roblox collab.

Roblox Coach interview: Girls from all three games wearing Coach clothes and accessories, outlined in white and pasted on a blurred Fashion Klossette landscape

The fashion industry sometimes faces criticism for being too old-fashioned, not changing with the times to embrace things like diversity, body positivity, and environmentalism. But on occasion, fashion brands are at the forefront of these movements, embracing new technology and values while gaining new popularity at the same time.

Coach is one of the latter. The American fashion house has made leather handbags, accessories, and other ready-to-wear items since 1941, making it a household name amongst older generations, but the company’s recent ‘Find Your Courage’ campaign is the thing that’s introducing Gen Z and Gen Alpha to its storied history. The campaign encourages being yourself and showing your true colors, embracing digital elements like the internet communities you find in games like Roblox and Zepeto.

This collaboration is far from Roblox’s first foray into the fashion world, but it shows Coach’s willingness to adapt to the changing behaviors and values of young people in order to gain new customers. We got the chance to talk to Kimberly Wallengren, Coach’s VP of Marketing for North America, about the Find Your Courage campaign, Roblox, the metaverse, and the links between fashion and gaming.

Coach never explicitly stated during the promotion of this collaboration that the aim was to target Gen Z and Gen Alpha gamers, but our assumption was right on the money. Wallengren tells us, “These demographics are highly engaged with digital and gaming platforms, and they value self-expression and creativity, which are core to Coach’s brand values. By integrating our Spring 2024 collection into Roblox games and Zepeto, we aim to meet these younger audiences in their preferred environments, offering them unique opportunities to engage with our brand and express their individuality.”

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Metaverse environments like these are certainly no stranger to self-expression, especially with their massive UGC cultures encouraging young people to not only wear what they want but to make what they want to wear as well. This sets modern online culture apart from the internet spaces that millennials know, where anonymity is king. Coach’s campaign aims to bring this culture into the real world, as Wallengren explains, “Online self-expression is incredibly important as it allows individuals to explore and showcase aspects of their identity that they might not feel comfortable expressing in their physical lives.

“The ‘Find Your Courage’ campaign encourages this kind of bravery and authenticity. By creating spaces where users can experiment with fashion and style, we hope to inspire them to carry that confidence into their offline lives as well.” This is just the beginning of the brand’s pivot into digital spaces, too. She continues, “We very much see this as a test and learning process, to continuously innovate and engage with new audiences and the gaming community in the most authentic way possible.

Roblox Coach interview: The key art from the Coach Roblox Zepeto campaign

“In the future, we do hope to expand our digital presence further, exploring additional collaborations and integrating more interactive and immersive experiences that engage new audiences in fun and meaningful ways.” This year’s Roblox and Zepeto collaboration saw Coach integrating with existing Roblox experiences and Zepeto features rather than creating its own dedicated brand portal like the recent Team USA Ultimate Obby for the Olympics. This way, the brand can leverage the existing fashion-conscious users in Fashion Famous 2, Fashion Klossette, and Zepeto to grow its recognition and customer base, effectively meeting the target audience where they are.

Of course, the sheer number of people you can find in these experiences doesn’t hurt either. Wallengren tells us, “Fashion Famous 2 is immensely popular, with over 2.2 billion visits, and Fashion Klossette has rapidly grown to over 30 million visits in its first year. These platforms provide vibrant communities where users are eager to explore and express their fashion sense. Their emphasis on immersive experiences made them ideal partners for showcasing our Spring 2024 collection and for the closing chapter of our Find Your Courage campaign.”

Roblox Coach interview: Two side by side screenshots of the Zepeto wardrobe showing off the Find Your Courage campaign

Finally, we wanted to know why the Coach Tabby bag is the symbol of the collaboration. Wallengren explains, “The Tabby Bag was chosen as the symbol of this collaboration because it embodies the perfect blend of Coach’s heritage and contemporary design, and it is hugely popular at the moment with Gen Z. We’ve done lots of research into why the Tabby is the icon product of the moment, so we are giving Gen Z what they want, and making the Tabby more accessible than ever!”

So there you have it, some insight into the reasons behind Coach’s recent Roblox and Zepeto collaborations. If you want to learn more, check out our Roblox Coach news from the campaign’s launch. Alternatively, explore your fashionista side using our Dress to Impress codes, Zepeto backgrounds, and other Roblox codes for tons more experiences.