At the ESL Arena at Paris Games Week and DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca, we came across the following Intel ad (first launched in ’14):
Holy hamburger! That’s a lot of trophies, contracts and money!
Since the birth of the Intel Extreme Masters in 2007, Intel’s arguably been the largest and most prominent sponsorship force in the world of esports. What we love about this ad is how it captures the infectious excitement of being a pro-gamer: Its intensity, its singular focus, how quickly the stakes rise, and the high of becoming a champion.
But it also looks a lot like this Nike ad from 2008.
At the time, the ad generated a lot of fanfare for its dizzyingly sexy first-person perspective… and the fact that it was directed by Guy Ritchie, the king of depicting excess, grit and glamour all in the same two minutes. Intel isn’t the only brand to fall victim to the sports döppelganger effect; this Asus ad from 2012 follows much the same format, with way less bling. Instead of shooting for a direct head-rush with limousines and champagne, you’ll probably recognise this world a lot more readily: It’s spaghetti in a hurry, public transport, a shit-ton of gaming, and a trip to the bar after a job well done (and a kiss from mum). You feel more of the hard work in it, and the ironic humour inherent to the culture is there as well.
There isn’t a ton of advertising yet in esports, particularly from mainstream brands. And often, brands find the sector easier to understand when direct comparisons are made to traditional sports, where the enthusiasm, community, and ROI value are all obvious. And hey, esports is a sport in the most basic sense. The brain is like a muscle; new data, experiences, problems and responses to problems strengthen it, all of which is present in a competitive match (not to mention the hand-eye coordination, team prep and training necessary to hitting champion level). The number of elements required to make sound decisions in a high-stakes game like League of Legends—under pressure, while monitoring your team and the enemy—are enormous, and that’s part of what fans love: We get high on the sheer mastery champions demonstrate when they take a risk that yields major results. We know what that costs.
That said, it’s a shame to build on what esports will become by looking almost exclusively at traditional sports marketing. There’s plenty to learn in that space, but we can do better—drawing from the authenticity, unique quirks, opportunities and qualities of our space.
Because if advertisers are going to discover esports, it’s better that they be all-in, open to an education about what the culture and stakes are all about, so they can really bring value to fans and gamers. Otherwise, in a handful of years, we’ll be drowning in ads, and it’s all gonna look like the stuff on TV: Awesomely-produced, but probably better when Guy Ritchie did it.