Fix what your audience remembers you broke
Before launching anything new, Neopets prioritized rebuilding trust. The team addressed years of technical debt, fixed long-standing bugs, revived dormant features, and restored beloved minigames broken by Flash. One example: Atlas of the Ancients, a plotline abandoned for over a decade, was quietly restored after years of being inaccessible due to outdated tech.
The repair work, while not glamorous, mattered. For longtime players, it signaled Neopets was finally listening, making the brand’s return feel less like a comeback and more like a promise kept.
Even small fixes became brand-building moments. The site’s “Something Has Happened” alerts—random pop-ups with quirky in-game messages—returned with new intent. One read: “Something has happened! A herd of Meepits holding clip boards and ring lights frantically ran past you. I wonder where they’re going?” The word “going” linked to Neopet’s Facebook page, a subtle yet effective tactic to drive cross-platform engagement from gameplay.
The takeaway? Don’t just launch something new. Fix what your audience remembers you broke. The smallest improvements, when tied to community memory, can drive the biggest results.
Make licensing extend the story
Neopets has treated licensing as a deliberate evolution of its IP—one that expands the World of Neopia rather than simply monetizing it.
Hasbro’s 25th Anniversary Monopoly set sold out in less than 24 hours. Upper Deck launched a trading card game. Plush toys returned to Hot Topic and GameStop. A graphic novel, The Discarded Magical Blue Grundo Plushie of Prosperity, drops this August. By designing each product to carry a piece of the narrative forward, Neopets turned merchandising into a form of storytelling.
For brands looking to convert audience interest into sales, use product extensions to expand your world. When fans see the story embedded in every format, even commercial touch points feel like meaningful chapters.
Make fandom tangible
The 25th anniversary brought Neopets into the real world in ways that felt earned. Fans organized birthday meetups in 41 cities across 13 countries. In May 2025, over 100 It’s Boba Time cafés became Neopian pop-ups, offering themed drinks, exclusive swag, and in-game codes. These moments gave the community something to show up for and turned digital nostalgia into something you could touch.
To make brand love last, bring it offline, by translating online energy into real-world participation. Create moments your audience can see, share, and physically show up for.
Design with your community, not just for them
This resurgence didn’t happen in isolation. AMA livestreams across YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram drew over 200,000 views, and the official Instagram account’s followers surged 123%. A new ambassador program invited fans to co-create content and help shape the brand. Rather than chasing trends, the brand is investing in belonging and letting its community guide what comes next.
