The news: Jo Malone London is using Fortnite to promote its latest launch, marking the fragrance brand’s first gaming activation as it looks to engage younger audiences and broaden its reach, per Marketing Dive.

The activation also includes a promotional campaign with gaming creators, livestreams, and social content on Instagram, TikTok, and Fortnite.

The big picture: Turning to Fortnite is a savvy move from Jo Malone parent Estée Lauder, which is in the process of turning its business around after several years of declining sales.

• Gaming platforms like Fortnite represent a valuable opportunity to grow brand awareness with younger consumers, even if they can’t yet afford to pay $175 for cologne.
• It’s also a chance to engage male shoppers, who are fast becoming avid fragrance users. Sales of premium men’s fragrances reached $3.29 billion in 2025, up more than 75% from 2020, per Euromonitor data cited by Bloomberg.

Initiatives like this could help Estée Lauder sustain the momentum it’s seeing in the fragrance category, with organic sales rising 10% YoY in fiscal Q4, which ended June 30.

Implications for retail: More beauty brands are becoming alive to the possibilities of advertising on gaming platforms, with e.l.f. Beauty, Fenty, and NYX Professional Makeup among those dipping a toe into gaming activations.

Being present on these channels could help companies stay relevant with the increasingly important Gen Alpha consumer and offset a potential decline in discoverability as more shopping research shifts to AI platforms.

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