Oh, Lord. Here’s another test for how much celebrity branding the market can take.
Animoca Brands and AID Partners Capital Holdings have launched Paris Hilton virtual merchandise inside the existing Star Girl mobile game.
That’s a pretty smart strategy as it would be a tough job to establish a brand new Paris Hilton game. This way, by putting Hilton’s goods into an existing game with tens of millions of fans, many more people will be able to purchase the Hilton goods immediately.
Star Girl, where girls and women engage in fashion role-playing, has been downloaded more than 65 million times. And now fans will be able to purchase in-game items from the Paris Hilton Collection Vol. 1, or items inspired by Hilton’s own fashion choices. Also included in the game update is Paris Hilton Style, a fashion contest with player voting, and a virtual version of Hilton’s Paris Beach Club.
The whole package costs $5 in real money. Star Girl is owned by Complete Star, a subsidiary of AID Partners Capital Holdings, a Hong Kong holding company.
Animoca Brands signed a deal in March to license the name and likeness of Paris Hilton, and this deal is the beginning of the commercial enterprises associated with that license. Star Girl is available on iOS, Google Play, and Amazon.
The Vol. 1 collection has five dresses, a pair of sunglasses, and a combo of fishnet stockings and heels. The deal was made possible through Iconicfuture, which matches virtual goods and brands.
Robby Yung, the CEO of Animoca Brands, said in a statement, “We’re very excited to be the first company to develop and deploy in-app purchases using the Paris Hilton brand. By launching branded merchandise in an existing successful game, we can leapfrog the initial download growth phases and obtain valuable usage information for future branding efforts right from the start.”
Paris Hilton said in a comment, “Play Star Girl and try my first-ever collection of virtual items, including some of my dresses, sunglasses, and footwear.”