BMW is shifting in its global marketing budget with a move into esports that it hopes will lead to mind share among the next generation of consumers.
The luxury German carmaker unveiled a partnership it formed with five gaming organizations—Cloud9 in the United States, Fnatic in the United Kingdom, FunPlus Phoenix in China, G2 Esports in Germany and T1 in South Korea—with the goal of capturing eyeballs glued to video game competitions in titles like League of Legends, DOTA 2, Fortnite and FIFA.
The move is a recognition of the growth of esports, particularly with its growing online reach in the wake of the coronavirus, which has stopped people from enjoying physical events for traditional sports. BMW as a brand is expanding its involvement in the world of online games and esports, which are appealing to the younger generation of potential car buyers.
Under the campaign headlines “United in Rivalry” and “United at Home,” BMW will be part of marketing activities that highlight the competitive spirit of the teams.
As far back as 2017, BMW started participating in esports as a partner of the European League of Legends finals in Paris. And in 2019, it was also a partner in the SIM Racing season which culminated in the BMW SIM LIVE premier at BMW Welt in Munich, Germany.
