The best esports advertising campaigns of 2024

As 2024 draws to a close, Esports Insider looks back at a year full of impactful marketing campaigns and unexpected brand collaborations in the world of esports.

As in previous years (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019), some marketing projects have stood out, be it through unique ideation or flawless execution.

Highlighting the efforts of established and emerging brands in the industry, Esports Insider presents the best esports advertising campaigns of 2024, in no particular order.

Known for their focus on trendy merchandise, North American esports organization 100 Thieves has released several successful apparel collaborations in the past, including a merchandise collaboration. Adidas Originals in May. In October, the organization took its streetwear game to the next level with a limited merchandise drop in partnership with the iconic Pokemon game and anime franchise.

The announcement video features Pokemon-themed keyboards as well as apparel emblazoned with popular characters like Bulbasaur, Charmander, and of course, Pikachu. While the marketing campaign surrounding the drop itself wasn’t great, this collaboration shows just how interesting and wearable branded esports can be in the eyes of fans!

Outstanding campaigns can be created by any brand, regardless of size or global recognition. Malaysia’s milk and dairy company Goodday proves this with his charming Boomers 2 Gamers initiative. Aimed at people who are at least 50 years old, the project invited ten senior citizens to participate in Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) training sessions under the guidance of former professional athletes.

The goal was to form a new senior CS2 list with the top 10 developing participants. More than that, Goodday offered a feeling of heart video summary of the challenge on his Instagram account. In the video, seniors and their younger relatives explain how Boomers 2 Gamers helped them bridge the generation gap and better understand the benefits of competitive gaming.

Overall, the Counter-Strike franchise had an eventful year. After the release of Counter-Strike 2 in September 2023, the competitive scene shifted away from CS:GO to its successor. With the first CS2 Major starting in March of this year, Red Bull Gaming and CHEW Productions launched the first episode from their two-part documentary”Memories from CS:GO‘.

Celebrating over a decade of competitive history, “The Early Years” covers the early developments of the title and the beginnings of the sports. The the second partdubbed “The Final Years”, it highlights the game’s legacy as well as its greatest personalities and moments. With a total viewing time of over three hours, “Memories of CS:GO” is a well-executed farewell to one of the most popular titles in esports.

The centerpiece of the initiative it’s a video where Rising Bees players, as well as other professional women in sports, read hate messages and discuss how such comments affect their mental health and performance in the game. However, the video also showcases the morale-boosting effect of kind messages read by participants in an effort to encourage positivity in gaming spaces. On Team Vitality’s YouTube channel, the video has 140,000 views.

These pledges were also actual discount codes for Elgiganten’s website with messages like “I promise I won’t get angry or start lighting my friends on fire just because they didn’t throw a grenade or a molo while the enemy he was rushing A and then we ended up losing that GLHF round.”

With this creative and light delivery, Astralis and Elgiganten have successfully made a serious subject easier to digest for a wide audience.

2024 scored 25^th anniversary of one of the oldest sports organizations, Evil Geniuses (EG). To commemorate its long-lasting legacy, the organization launched an effective, permanent marketing movement restoration of the EG logo to its original 1999 version.

The previous logo revamp in 2019 was it was not well received by fans, giving EG an opportunity to celebrate an organization that is looking to learn from its past to build a new future. EG’s nostalgic trip down memory lane was further accompanied through a cargo pod dedicated to the original logo.

Carried by the customized G-Class electric SUV, the Summoner’s Cup traveled to three locations around the world: Berlin, Paris and London. Accompanying the world’s best Players League players on their journey, the Mercedes-Benz trophy car has become not only a sponsor, but also an active participant in the story of Worlds 2024.

Spirits and beer brands have become common actors in sportssponsoring tournaments and creating joint products with industry stakeholders. However, Gen.G’s collaboration with the Korean wine company Allvintage wine marks the first wine launched by a sports organization.

Sold exclusively in Korea, Allvintage Wine produces a Chilean red wine and a Chilean white wine for the Korean sports powerhouse. The adorable design of the wine bottles, which prominently displays Gen.G’s mascot “GenRang”, stands out the most. As a face of the innovative product launch, the yellow creature also gave the wine the name, “GenRang Wine”.