Marketing

Panda Express partners with Fortnite Creative, Roblox

Image: Panda Express

July 28, 2025

Panda Express has partnered with Media AOR The Many and playable media leader Super League to drop its Hot Orange Chicken dishes into immersive in-game experiences on Fortnite Creative and Roblox — sparking buzz where Gen Z plays and connects, according to a press release.

Players in both Fortnite Creative and Roblox can interact with Pei Pei the Panda, an energetic NPC (non-playable character). Pei Pei appears across multiple maps, engaging with players and building excitement around the return of the fan-favorite dish.

Within its first two weeks of launch, the campaign has generated impressive results:

• 265,000-plus players have watched the cut scenes in Fortnite Creative maps and earned Panda Express in-game rewards.
• Players have spent 65 days interacting with Pei Pei across both platforms, generating over 185,000 player engagements.

"Why tell people about Hot Orange Chicken when you can let them discover it through their own gaming moments," Fabiola del Rio, vice president of integrated marketing communications at Panda Express, said in the release. "This partnership doesn't just reach our Gen Z audience, it integrates us natively in their virtual world, where discovery feels like gameplay and engagement becomes an adventure."

The gaming activation will continue to evolve through the end of the year with new creative updates, featuring new items and interactive elements as the experience progresses beyond the initial Hot Orange Chicken launch. Other campaign highlights include:

• Interactive Fortnite Creative Cutscenes: Custom-built cinematic moments that play mid-game to tease product reveals — a media-first for quick-service restaurant marketing.
• Map-Specific Rewards: Players who complete certain actions on each Fortnite Creative map unlock themed items unique to that gameplay experience.
• Conversational Panda Encounters: Pei Pei the Panda shows up in both Fortnite Creative and Roblox to drive engagement and build anticipation for Panda's menu offering.

"In a world where attention must be earned, this activation is a perfect example of the power of playability to drive memorable brand engagement," Matt Edelman, CEO at Super League, said in the release. "Together with Panda Express and The Many, we transformed a product launch into a hands-on, shareable adventure."

Panda Express operates more than 2,500 locations across the country and a presence in 11 countries.