BMW has gone global in a new partnership, signing five major esports teams on three different continents to brand deals. Cloud9, Fnatic, G2 Esports, FunPlus Phoenix and T1 have all joined the BMW family in this mega-alliance of teams.
The German luxury car manufacturer has a track record of partnering with esports organizations in the past. Back in 2017, BMW made its first splash in the world of esports by sponsoring the 2017 European League of Legends finals in Paris. Back in June of 2019, BMW hosted the BMW SIM LIVE 2019 in Munich. With this new global partnership, BMW hopes to cement itself as a major player in the world of esports for years to come.
Using the campaign motto, “United in Rivalry,” BMW aims to bring fans of all esports teams together through competition. “The teams’ competitive spirit and their historic rivalries have always been part of the esports scene’s lore. At the same time the teams share a boundless passion for gaming and related activities.” The partnership will include teams “challenging” and “outdoing” each other on social media using the #unitedinrivalry.
Along with the “United in Rivalry” motto, “United at Home” will also be used to symbolize coming together during “times of uncertainty and global challenges.” BMW adding, “It goes without saying that the teams’ interactions always stay within the parameters of esports etiquette, reflect the respect they have for each other and of course will take place at home. Therefore, they will use the #unitedathome hashtag in combination with #unitedinrivalry.”
BMW and its new partner organizations aim for this collaboration to be more than just a sponsorship. According to BMW, the car company will “share the knowledge and expertise of its engineers and designers, to enable the development of hardware and software products that are perfectly tailored to gamers’ needs.” Along with this sharing of information and technology, BMW also committed to creating official team vehicles for each of the five organizations. The company will use “eye catching BMW models” featuring “a custom livery with striking colors, combining motifs drawn in comic-book style with each organizations logo.”
This collaboration between one of the biggest car companies in the world and five of the biggest esports organizations in the world marks a milestone achievement for esports as a whole. “Our esports involvement is an important milestone providing, for the first time, a new intersectionality with a dynamic and fast-growing community. We consider esports a promising, growing addition to our marketing activities, helping BMW on its journey to becoming an emotive brand people relate to,” said Jens Thiemer, Senior Vice President Customer and Brand BMW.
With the company’s ongoing partnerships within esports, BMW hopes to bring a whole new audience to the genre. With a long term goal of turning their team portfolio into household names, it seems like BMW’s commitment to the growth of esports is here to stay.
Source: BMW Group
