The Impact of Implicit Marketing Through Digital Skins in Video Games on Brand Awareness and Purchase Intent Among Generation Z: A Case Study of Selected Models

Abstract

This study examines the phenomenon of implicit marketing through digital skins within video games as a modern marketing tool targeting Generation Z, by analyzing the mechanism of its impact on brand awareness and the shaping of purchase intent. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology based on examining real-world collaboration models between global brands and popular gaming platforms, namely Fortnite and Balenciaga, Roblox and Gucci, PUBG Mobile and McLaren, and League of Legends and Louis Vuitton.

     The results reveal that the integration between the virtual digital economy and luxury brands generates symbolic value that may exceed the market value of the real product, as seen in the case of the virtual Gucci bag on Roblox, which sold for a higher price than its real-world counterpart. Meanwhile, the Fortnite and Balenciaga case demonstrates how digital skins are utilized as a brand awareness tool to pave the way for activating real-world purchase intent. The study concludes that virtual scarcity and the digital identity of Generation Z constitute primary drivers for the effectiveness of this type of marketing, while providing strategic recommendations directed at marketers and brands wishing to invest in this channel.