Roblox builds a world for Paris Hilton

The Future. Last week, Paris Hilton announced that she would have her own world in Roblox — aptly called “Paris World” — which would essentially be a nonstop party of all things Paris Hilton. Its creation would actually be the first in a wave of celebrity-branded virtual destinations that could provide a new avenue for entertainment, advertising, and, of course, revenue.

Celebrity orbit
Paris Hilton’s “Paris World” may be setting the stage for the next frontier of influencer engagement. Here are the possibilities for a celebrity-brand digital world:

• Access and exclusivity. Celebrities like Paris can make their world as inclusive or exclusive as they want, meaning their brand is always a place where people can visit… even if the celebrity in residence is nowhere to be found.
• Theme park personality. Stars can create a digital oasis that reflects themselves, making their world innately interactive, unlike a static Instagram photo or TikTok. Think of each of these worlds as a digital Dollywood.
• Ads find an audience. Like any good party, brands are going to want to put their sponsorships on everything. In a digital world, the party theoretically never stops, so neither does the opportunity to advertise… and collect data and impressions.
• Price of admission. This isn’t a part of Paris World (yet), but in-game currencies like Robux or cryptos could give celebrity worlds their own functioning economy. With social tokens, these digital worlds might just be one point of access to someone like Paris.

Of course, what makes these digital worlds so enticing is the fact that a fan could potentially stumble across the celebrity whose world they’re inhabiting. It’s a meet-and-greet without any real-world risk.