Gameloft for Brands and ESL partner to propose innovative sponsoring solutions for mobile esports in the ESL Mobile Open
Gameloft for brands and ESL, the world's largest esports company, announced the Season Two of the ESL Mobile Open 2021, an esports competition in Asphalt 9: Legends.
Hosted on IOS and Android, players from North America, Europe, Middle East & South Asia will compete through in-game qualifiers events for a chance to qualify for the live finals and win a cash prize.
BRANDS ARE INVITED TO JOIN THE COMPETITION AS SPONSORS
Asphalt 9: Legends offers a perfect opportunity to run native ad formats. Native ads closely match the in-game environment and experience, making them more subtle and one of the most effective ways of in-game advertising.
Mobile esports has a dynamic and unique way to connect with audiences and increase engagement. According to Newzoo, in 2020, there were 2.7 billion mobile gamers worldwide. In addition, around 380 million people worldwide watch eSports, including 165 million eSports enthusiasts. Tournaments and special events can attract gamers, viewing crowds and catch the attention of curious viewers.
Sponsors can integrate the esports competition through innovative solutions like branded game mode, on-track virtual OOH, and a branded live stream.
What do those native formats look like? This article will present some of the most used ad formats during the ESL Mobile Open esports competition.
BRANDED GAME MODE / SPONSORED EVENT
In Sponsored Events, brands can be sponsors of the in-game qualifier phase. This native ad format offers partners a powerful and immersive way to generate user engagement, promoting brands/products inside the game as an exclusive, time-limited event.
Sponsored Events bring positive results for brands. The event is seen by 100% of players when gamers are fully immersed in their participation in the qualifier phase, thus being more receptive and positively inclined to the sponsor's brand and message.
VIRTUAL OOH
The Virtual OOH can be integrated thoughtfully into the game to look like part of the gaming environment. It makes brands and their message visible at the heart of the game experience. They are integrated naturally into the action phase, where players can spend much more time reading the marketing message alongside highways in the racing game. Brands and gamers are part of the narrative. Therefore, it builds a deeper connection between them.
Before the pandemic, Gameloft for brands ran a virtual OOH integration with the branded billboards format displayed all along in the races in Asphalt 9: Legends during the ESL Mobile Open by Vodafone 5G. In addition, Vodafone messages and ads were displayed on the game locations inviting users to discover their 5G services.
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Virtual OOH displayed in races in esports competition for Vodafone, Realme, Toyota.
BRANDED LIVESTREAM
Once the in-game qualifiers phase ended, the competition's top players will compete in the finals broadcasted on a live stream on Youtube/Twitch.
This live stream is available to the entire community and offers an opportunity for the sponsors to integrate their brand and deliver messages inside the live event. Moreover, thanks to the commentators, display of video segments like ads, branding of the overlays, their product can also be promoted by the players (e.i: players playing with a new device and talking about the performance).
KPIS MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS
When it comes to measuring the effectiveness of the sponsoring of esports events, there are some crucial points to consider. First, sponsoring formats are more effective for branding and engagement than conversions. Second, engagement is the main benefit a sponsoring an esports competition can bring. It allows the audience to experience the brand's message in an interactive and unique way. Our metrics include the number of participants (engagement), number of times the event was played, time spent, impressions and clickthrough call to action, and live stream views.
In summary, esports competitions like the ESL Mobile Open present a unique opportunity for brands to stand from the crowd and connect with their audiences in a meaningful way. While playing, the audience is having fun and is more receptive to interacting with brands and their messages. Through this new competition and our long-term partnership with ESL, Gameloft is taking eSports sponsoring solutions for brands to the next level!
