Deliveroo Makes Adorable Virtual Deliveries in Animal Crossing

With public activations on hold during lockdown, Deliveroo and The Secret Little Agency in Singapore served up a hack involving the galaxy's favorite video-game obsession: Animal Crossing.

We're talking mega-cute in-game deliveries here people, with players of the Nintendo Switch juggernaut receiving visits on their pixelated islands from characters dressed up in Deliveroo collared polo shirts and caps:

These wee delivery folk even donned tiny face masks! (There's a joke here about viruses and video games, probably.)

What did they bring in those green Deliveroo bags? Animal Crossing's coveted soft-serve-ice-cream-shaped lamps, what else? Participants also received discount codes for Deliveroo orders IRL.

"Deliveroo went on its social channels to ask who'd be interested in receiving a special Animal Crossing in-game delivery," explains agency founder Nic Ye. "If they were home playing Animal Crossing during lockdown, there was a high chance this would be the same target audience actively using a food delivery app."

The promo took place May 30, attracting thousands of players.

Last month, Singapore's Sentosa Island created an Animal Crossing version of itself, allowing users to explore the resort's beaches, museums and casinos.

In a broader sense, of course, such work reflects the increasingly varied approaches of marketers seeking to leverage gaming culture, and the expansive power of virtual worlds to enhance and embellish…

Oh, screw it! We just want a soft-serve lamp!