The event takes place on Roblox and includes a virtual performance by rapper Denzel Curry and a collaboration with street artist Shepard Fairey, as well as minigames and virtual goods for a cause

Since 2020, the family of Joaquin “Guac” Oliver has thrown a lively birthday party for him, dubbed “Guacathon,” riffing on Joaquin’s nickname “Guac” and making it an annual tradition following Joaquin’s assassination at the Parkland, FL school shooting.

Joaquin’s parents Manuel and Patricia Oliver, vocal advocates of creative activism and youth empowerment toward common sense gun laws, want more young people to experience the party and celebrate Joaquin’s birthday and life—and to make a positive impact on their world. To do this, they and the organization they founded, Change the Ref, have enlisted the leading metaverse development studio MELON to bring Guacathon to Roblox on August 4, 2022.

On August 4, Joaquin’s 22nd birthday, a celebration will take place in the Guacathon experience. An in-person, exclusive event will accompany this day’s celebrations in New York City, with invitees that are close friends and allies to Patricia and Manuel Oliver, who have been invited to this gathering to commemorate the life and continued legacy and activism of their son.

Guacathon will unfold as a virtual urban festival, packed with people listening to music, interacting with art, and shooting hoops. Fiercely independent Miami-raised MC Denzel Curry will perform on the mainstage, bringing songs from his most recent album, the critically-acclaimed Melt My Eyez See Your Future, as well as his storied catalog to the stage. Curry has worked closely with some of the most exciting names in music, from rap titans like Ross Ross and T-Pain, to idiosyncratic bass maestro Thundercat and legendary producer Robert Glasper, among others. He has recently appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, NPR's Tiny Desk Concert and performed show stopping freestyles for Funk Flex and LA Leakers. 2022 has seen Denzel Curry cement himself as one of the most vital names in rap after a decade-long ascent from underground icon.

“There’s been a lot of misuse of guns in the United States that claim the lives of many, I’ve lost a lot of friends and family members to gun violence,” remarks Curry. “Today isn’t a sad day for the family of Joaquin…today is a day we celebrate the life of Joaquin to the fullest to show his legacy will never be forgotten and that we have brighter days yet to come.”

Around the virtual block party, Roblox community members will be able to view a new portrait of Joaquin, created by underground legendary artist and viral phenom Shepard Fairey, whose ubiquitous OBEY campaign and Obama HOPE poster designs impacted and moved millions. In addition, Fairey’s work has been exhibited in museums such as MOMA and the Victoria and Albert. This is Fairey’s first interactive public art project on Roblox.

“I’ve seen how art can shift the conversation and bring us together in politically and culturally meaningful ways,” notes Fairey. “I’m eager to watch this same thing unfold in the metaverse and to see if we can start a new conversation around gun safety and violence that’s led by the young people too often impacted by it.”

Along with performances and participatory art experiences, Guacathon will also feature custom minigames reflecting Joaquin’s loves, including street art and basketball. Paint Zone lets visitors grab a virtual spray paint can and compete in a race to tag as many areas and earn as many points as possible. Hoop Jam challenges sports fans to beat the clock and make increasingly difficult shots. In both minigames competitors earn tokens that can be used to unlock virtual merch that commemorates the event, including a Roblox version of Guac’s guitar and a special Guac jersey. All proceeds from these sales go to Change the Ref. In addition, Shepard Fairey and Denzel Curry will offer several special virtual items, with half the proceeds from the sale of these items going to Change the Ref.

In celebrating Joaquin’s life, the Olivers want to highlight the role young people can play in speaking up and supporting meaningful change in their communities. “We’re not having a moment of silence. We’re having a party,” explains Joaquin’s mother Patricia. “I’m grateful for the metaverse, for having a place where my son can help people connect and share his life. I want his peers to enjoy a party in his honor and make friends with his metaverse self."

Most importantly, Joaquin will appear as an avatar at his family’s request throughout the experience, serving as an inspiration for the festivities. It reflects Change the Ref’s belief that we can shift our relationship to gun violence and safety through positive, artful work together. This metaverse edition of Guacathon continues several years of tech-forward, celebrity-hosted virtual events on platforms like Facebook Live and Twitch, all of which reflected this commitment to creative activism and youth empowerment.

“It’s an honor to work with the Oliver family and bring Joaquin to the metaverse. Manuel and Patricia’s strength and love for life is an inspiration that has driven this project,” notes Josh Neuman, co-founder and co-CEO of MELON. “We hope that Guacathon moves young people through this celebration, and that they can feel the passion of this special family and the community they have built around them.”

Guacathon opens on August 4, 2022. Denzel Curry's premier performance takes place at 3pm PST on Friday, August 5 and he will repeat an encore performance every hour until 11pm PST on August 7.

About Change the Ref

Change The Ref (CTR), was formed to empower Future Leaders. CTR gives the kids of today the tools they need to be empowered to make changes to critical issues that affect our nation, through education, conversation, and activism. It uses urban art and nonviolent creative confrontation to expose the disastrous effects of the mass shooting pandemic. Change The Ref’s ultimate goal is to give the young generation of survivors and victims a disrupting voice to help lead the way to change – a more peaceful future. 

About MELON

Founded in 2017, MELON is a powerhouse development studio for the metaverse. They are creating original game properties and building some of the most innovative experiences across sports, music, film/TV, fashion and brands on the Roblox platform and beyond. MELON’s partnerships with major music labels and consumer product IP have gathered and engaged hundreds of millions of visits around the world.

Investors from music, gaming, media, sports, and biotech unite to fund the metaverse powerhouse studio behind experiences for the NFL, Chipotle, and top music artists on Roblox

MELON is announcing a $5M seed round. The game development team is behind numerous major music events on Roblox, as well as experiences for partners and clients including the NFL, Chipotle, Mattel, Clarks, and PacSun.

The seed round includes Crush Ventures, the investment arm of Crush Music whose management clients include Miley Cyrus, Sia, Green Day, Lorde, Weezer, Panic! at the Disco, and Fall Out Boy, as well as Gaingels, Comcast Spectacor, and a large SPV led by Matt Finick who has also joined MELON’s board. Finick was formerly CFO at Roblox and at Marvel Entertainment.

The round also includes notable strategic angels such as Paul Yook, health care investor; Deborah Dugan, CEO of Beyond Type 1 and, former CEO of Product (RED) and The Recording Academy of Music; Spencer Baim, Chief Brand Officer at Kinship, former CCO of VICE Media; Jason Ve, Head of BD/Brand Partnerships at 88rising; and Gene Salomon, partner at leading entertainment law firm Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman.

“At Comcast Spectacor, we’re always looking for new ways to engage fans with great events and memorable experiences, and that’s what this investment is all about,” says Tucker Roberts, President of Spectacor Gaming, a gaming and entertainment company connected to Comcast NBCUniversal. “MELON is on the cutting edge of bringing experiences directly to where Gen Z lives–their phones–and we’re looking forward to the continued innovations that Josh and his incredible team will make at MELON.”

"MELON is at the forefront of the creative explosion happening in the metaverse,” notes investor/board member Matt Finick. “They are perfectly positioned to build some of the most impactful experiences across music, film and TV, fashion, and sports over the next few years of critical growth on these developing platforms."

“We’re extremely fortunate to have such a strong collective of early strategic investors in MELON,” explains Josh Neuman, co-founder/co-CEO of MELON. “The Metaverse and platforms within it are ripe for disruption and we’re looking forward to evolving our creativity and storytelling in collaboration with our partners, as well as via our original IP. With this group, we’re going to be able to strategize and navigate the evolving landscape at the highest level.”

Neuman’s extensive experience at the intersection of media, brands, pop culture, and technology reflects the expertise that has allowed MELON to set the standard for activations and events in Roblox. Before becoming MELON's co-CEO in 2021, he was a co-founder and key executive of several multi-million dollar music media, branding, and talent companies, including 88rising, Recreation Worldwide (acquired by VICE Media), Control Management (former management of superstar DJ, Tiësto), and Crush Music. He architected a multifaceted partnership between Red Bull and Skrillex, landed Kanye West for Samsung’s launch of the Galaxy Note II, and worked closely with Bono’s Product (RED).

Neuman’s cultural savvy and branding experience complement the extensive gaming and development know-how of company founder/co-CEO Devon Thome. A wunderkind in his mid-20s, Thome has been creating jaw-dropping experiences and innovation in open-world and metaverse environments for years. He made a name for himself in Minecraft before mastering the art of creating games in Roblox, where most of MELON’s work is currently focused. 

They lead a team at MELON that has attracted talent from major game studios (EA, Pokémon GO) and lifestyle brands (Urban Outfitters, Marketing Arm, Honda’s former agency of record). Award-winning executive producer and marketing mastermind Heather Healy is MELON’s SVP of Partnerships and Operations, with nearly two decades of experience running high-profile campaigns. Healy helped launch the careers of Bruno Mars and Foster the People and developed award-winning marketing campaigns and strategic partnerships for Fortune 100 brands. MELON’s VP of Entertainment Partnerships Becky Wilson previously worked at Urban Outfitters where she led key music initiatives, including in-store events, collaborations, and partnerships with notable artists such as Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, SZA, Khalid and LANY.

MELON’s multifaceted team has honed a keen sense for what works in the metaverse, and brands have taken note. In addition, MELON has perfected the art of virtual music events, working with major labels and attracting millions of visitors to events for Tai Verdes, Ava Max, KSI and Zara Larsson. Larsson’s event won the studio a Clio this year.

“Crush Ventures looks to invest in teams that are building the future of how creators and fans will interact. Josh, Devon, and the MELON team have proven to be uniquely capable of building one-of-a-kind games and experiences. We're thrilled to invest in and partner with MELON as we explore opportunities together for Crush's talent in the metaverse,” notes Andrew Kahn, Head of Crush Ventures.

About MELON

Founded in 2017, MELON is a powerhouse development studio for the metaverse. It is creating original game properties and building some of the most innovative experiences across sports, music, film/TV, fashion and brands on the Roblox platform and beyond. MELON’s partnerships with major music labels and consumer product IP have gathered and engaged hundreds of millions of visits around the world.

Footwear brand empowers young athletes to compete without limits; steps into the metaverse for the very first time

For almost 200 years, Clarks Shoes has been known for their technological innovation and design expertise in footwear. On 16th May 2022, Clarks will take their pioneering approach to the next level and enter a brand-new era in the metaverse. 

The Clarks CICAVERSE, created by premier metaverse development studio MELON, will celebrate one of the brand’s most iconic, unisex styles and inspire a whole new generation of fans via an immersive experience on Roblox. 

The Clarks CICA sneaker is an all-purpose, all-terrain sneaker silhouette designed by young athletes, for young athletes – allowing them to reach their highest potential, whatever their playground. From the CICAVERSE to IRL street sports, Clarks craftsmanship combines with athlete expertise for trainers that tackle the halfpipe, the bike ramp, and everything else in between. 

When stepping inside the Clarks Stadium, fans can get set for the sports tournament of a lifetime. Inside the immersive experience, curious  explorers will put the CICA through its paces as they battle it out with their friends to see who can grab the highest scores – from showing off their slickest BMX tricks and breakdance skills, to racing to the Parkour finish line with a little help from the real-life young athletes, who have used their sporting expertise to help Clarks create the newly designed CICA shoe collection. 

Athletes featured in the game include UK viral breakdance sensation B-Girl Terra (who is soon taking on her ultimate challenge, the 2024 Paris Olympics); UK parkour champion and trainee stuntman Robbie Griffith; and US 11-year-old BMX rider, Connor Stitt.

Speaking on the new Clarks initiative, B-Girl Terra said:

“Roblox is a space me and my friends love to meet and have fun in, so to be able to create and see my own avatar in the CICAVERSE wearing a sneaker that I love and had a hand in designing, is just a dream come true! Can’t wait for everyone else to join us on the CICAVERSE adventure.”

In addition to sports, users will be able to let their imaginations run wild and get a performance boost in the virtual Clarks store. Here, the possibilities are endless. From sneakers super-charged with fire to jumbo jet packs, store visitors can purchase all the accessories needed to make their avatars stand out from the crowd and come out on top to be crowned champion of the CICAVERSE.  

Clarks Global Chief Marketing & Digital Officer, Tara McRae, said:
“We’re super excited to bring our iconic brand offering to the Metaverse as Clarks is passionate about empowering kids and teens  to be the best that they can be. Roblox is all about understanding and enhancing people’s shared experiences, which is what made this feel like such a natural place for us to have presence in. The CICAVERSE is the perfect way that allows our early learners to explore, create, to learn and to play in a dedicated community space that they can call their own.”

MELON President, Josh Neuman, said: 
“We at MELON are honoured to introduce Clarks – an iconic brand that has influenced pop culture for decades – to a new generation with a visually captivating experience that blends fashion and sports lifestyle into one exciting space on Roblox.” 

To reward the first winners, Clarks has brought to life a limited-edition gold CICA X Roblox medallion necklace that visitors can earn in the experience. To honour the British brand's 197-year heritage, the same number of necklaces have been produced, made in Clarks' original home of Somerset. They will be gifted worldwide. Virtually, players will have the opportunity to complete challenges to unlock this exclusive prize too.

With lots of exciting updates, exclusive product drops and appearances planned within the experience throughout 2022 – this really is just the beginning of the Clarks CICAVERSE journey. To make sure you stay in the loop with all things CICAVERSE, stay tuned to Clarks’ social channels @ClarksShoes. For more information about Clarks on Roblox visit www.clarks.co.uk/kids-sports-shoes/the-cicaverse-roblox.

The Clarks CICA sneaker is available in classic colour ways; Black Combi, Pink and White at RRP £50.00, and is available online at www.clarks.co.uk and in most Clarks stores.

About Clarks Shoes 

Clarks, based in Somerset, England, has been at the forefront of innovative shoemaking since its foundation in 1825, when brothers James and Cyrus Clark made a slipper from sheepskin off-cuts. At the time it was ground-breaking: a combination of invention and craftsmanship that has remained at the heart of what the brand does now. In the Clarks archive of more than 22,000 pairs are shoes that have sparked revolutions and defined generations. From the original Clarks Desert Boot, first designed by Nathan Clark and launched in 1950, to the iconic Wallabee, each design has an instantly recognisable signature that make it unmistakably Clarks.

About MELON

MELON is a premier development studio for the metaverse, creating original game properties and building some of the most innovative experiences for brands, artists, and entertainment leaders on the Roblox platform and beyond. MELON has worked with major music labels and consumer brands on partnerships that have gathered and engaged millions of players around the world.

Retailer Expands Roblox Presence with PACWORLD 

In June 2021, Pacsun transitioned into the online entertainment space by introducing digital items on Roblox (NYSE: RBLX), a global online platform for shared experiences connecting millions of people every day in its metaverse.

As part of the collaboration, the youth retailer officially announced today its first dedicated experience on Roblox called PACWORLD, a fantasy interactive mall experience, created through a partnership with premier game development studio MELON. This is a natural extension of Pacsun’s existing catalogs on Roblox, with the best sold catalog items being “fantasy” focused items including gold wings.  

PACWORLD allows players to create a unique hub, intersecting fashion technology and community.  Within the social environment, customers find community in this space, leaning on the metaverse’s strong network effects. Players are the owner and operators of a new mall, and it is their objective to make the mall as profitable and popular as possible. Players will be able to create and remove shops, upgrade the shops that do well, decorate the mall to try and attract more customers, and even invite their friends to visit their mall. 

“Innovation and creativity are at the heart of Pacsun’s brand voice, and we view our audience as the cultural pioneers of the future.  As we are catering to a fully digital generation, we recognize that Gen Z values community and accessibility more than any other generation, and we joined Roblox to further build that connectivity with our consumers,” said Brie Olson, President at Pacsun. “Considering that they leverage Roblox as a point of socialization, we knew that in order to further our strong emotional resonance as a brand, we needed to continue to build alongside them in the gaming world.”

With Digital being Pacsun’s top priority, the retailer has seen exponential growth in the space year over year, through perceptive partnerships with brands and talent, social media activations, and strategic campaigns. Over the past year, Pacsun started to embark on a strategy with paid media and upper funnel initiatives, with NFTs and Virtual Reality becoming a huge focus for collaborative initiatives and in-store efforts.

Pacsun stepped into the NFT space with the introduction of the Pacsun Wave NFT in November 2021, followed by the Pac Mall Rats series in January 2022 and most recently PS Sunset in collaboration with Pakistani artist Sara Shakeel. The second drop of Pac Mall Rats also debuted today, representing 14 different Pacsun locations, as well as Reebok, Pacsun’s first Pac Mall Rat based off of a brand partner. Locations in this wave of Pac Mall Rats include Glendale and Downey, CA, Orland Park, IL, St. George, UT, Raleigh, NC, New York City, NY, and more. Pac Mall Rats are available for auction now on Open Sea for one week, starting at $250.

Pacsun also debuted its first-ever video game, “Pacsun the Game,” timed to its Spring/Summer 2022 campaign via the relaunched Pacsun App in the App store. The campaign once again featured Gen Z and style icon, Emma Chamberlain, who starred in Pacsun's Virtual Reality experience video as her own personal avatar, the first time Emma starred as her digital self. 

“Though it is important for us to follow our customers through digital touchpoints, we do understand that in store shopping is still relevant. Through PACWORLD, we give players and consumers the reins to create their space and build it from the ground up. It combines fantasy with the traditional in-store feel, through a digital lens in a highly interactive way,” added Alfred Chang, Co-CEO of Pacsun. 

In PACWORLD, players will be able to customize their malls with flair and aesthetics that can be purchased with their virtual income they earn in-experience. The starting point is a sunny beach island reminiscent of Pacsun’s Southern California homebase, where players can choose a plot for their personalized mall that they can build their stores onto. Shops are the primary aspect of the game and each shop will generate its own virtual income to add to the player’s overall virtual income earned in-experience. As a mall’s popularity increases and is visited by more shoppers, modeled after their Roblox friends list, the players can continue to upgrade their mall by adding new fun shops and restaurants, along with decorations such as plants, furniture and murals.

To amplify the social element, Roblox players can visit each other to socialize and compare malls. PACWORLD allows up to six players to build malls next to each other, while Roblox’s platform allows players to go to any server to visit their friends and check out their malls.
 
PACWORLD is available now on Roblox. Be sure to check back in later this month when we reveal PACWORLD virtual goods.

Please find select images here. For more information and real time updates, be sure to follow Pacsun on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok.

ABOUT PACSUN
Pacsun is a leading specialty retailer offering a cross section of emerging brands and trending fashion through the lens of youth culture. Throughout the contemporary, streetwear and active lifestyle markets, Pacsun partners with the best brands to offer curated collections, rare and exclusive products, and creative collaborations on every level. Founded in 1980, Newport, CA. Curated in Los Angeles. Follow @pacsun on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok.

NFL’s Roblox experience will engage fans year-round in interactive NFL-themed gameplay while also providing a new virtual hangout destination with activations tied to League events, starting with Super Bowl LVI

New York, NY – (February 9, 2022) – The National Football League and Roblox (NYSE: RBLX), announced today the launch of NFL Tycoon to engage the next generation of NFL football fans in the Metaverse. The NFL will be the first official major sports league to offer a persistent experience on Roblox, a global platform bringing millions of people together through shared experiences.

“We are beyond thrilled to partner with Roblox as we journey deeper into the Metaverse and continue to learn the value of interactive shared experiences for the NFL,” said Joe Ruggiero, SVP, Consumer Products at the NFL. “We see Roblox as an extension of NFL’s real-life engagement platforms for emerging social connectivity where fans can learn the game and business side of NFL football. This is a new frontier of how fan engagement will evolve for the League, and we are excited to be a part of this dynamic space that will continuously evolve over time with new experiences.”  

NFL Tycoon lets fans build, play, and learn in their own NFL-centered world through a combination of the popular tycoon and simulator genres on Roblox where nearly 50 million users are connected daily. Throughout the year, NFL Tycoon will host virtual live events and activations that coincide with the NFL calendar, starting with “Destruction House,” an interactive event inspired by the highly anticipated NFL Super Bowl LVI commercial. Fans will be able to compete against each other to playfully destroy an everyday neighborhood house and unlock and purchase new and limited-edition virtual goods influenced by Super Bowl LVI, the two competing teams, and the NFL. On Super Bowl LVI Sunday, fans can also watch the commercial that inspired the immersive “Destruction House” within the experience. 

“Partnering with NFL, a digital innovator, brings more ways for our community to celebrate their fandom,” said Christina Wootton, VP, Global Brand Partnerships at Roblox. “We are excited to see sports and entertainment evolve to bring in fun, authentic and engaging experiences that push the boundaries of creativity and bring fans closer to some of the biggest moments in sports and culture.”   

The global Roblox community will also be able to enjoy traditional NFL football gameplay within the experience at certain points throughout the year. Beginning today, NFL Tycoons in the making can try themselves in the role of an NFL team owner, running their own franchise. The experience allows fans to develop custom stadiums, build teams by unboxing card packs that represent fictional players, strategically swap them with other users, and compete in a simulator while climbing the leaderboard that unlocks additional in-experience rewards. 

NFL Tycoon including the Destruction House was created in collaboration with MELON, a leading Metaverse development studio, and will launch on February 9. The Super Bowl LVI commercial will air within the experience on February 13. Beyond Super Bowl LVI, NFL Tycoon will offer regular updates and in-game events that will roll out in sync with NFL events and moments. For more information on NFL Tycoon and Destruction House, click here.

About Roblox
Roblox is reimagining the way people come together to connect, create, and express themselves through immersive, interactive shared experiences. Every day, millions of people around the world play, learn, communicate, and expand their friendships as they explore millions of user-generated digital experiences, all built by creators on the platform. Our mission is to connect billions of users with civility and optimism and support a safe and diverse community—one that inspires and fosters creativity and positive relationships among people around the world. For more information, please visit corp.roblox.com. 

About MELON
MELON is a premier development studio for the metaverse, creating original game properties and building some of the most innovative experiences for brands, artists, and entertainment leaders on the Roblox platform and beyond. MELON has worked with major music labels and consumer brands on partnerships that have gathered and engaged millions of players around the world.