London / New York, November 11th,2020 – ESL, the world’s largest esports company, and world-leading communications agency DDB, join forces to unlock the vast potential of the esports and gaming category. The partnership aims to elevate the ESL & DreamHack brands around the world and offer innovative and relevant creative territory to DDB’s existing global clients.
ESL’s leading global tournaments and leagues are followed by 300 million passionate fans from around the world, representing 60% of the global esports audience. The company’s recent merger with DreamHack expands their reach to address the 2.8 billion fans of gaming culture globally. DDB recently launched the dedicated gaming agency DDB FTW (For the Win), the world’s first network initiative of its kind on a global scale.
“For the past 20 years, we have been on the forefront of launching leading brands into the esports sphere, creating game-changing brand partnerships,” said Mark Cohen, Global SVP Brand Partnerships at ESL. “Our cooperation with DDB FTW enables us to introduce their clients to our target audience and develop innovative brand strategies together for esports fans worldwide.”
“We are entrusted with being the guardians of our client’s brands,” says Darko Silajdžić, CEO Global Esports & Gaming Lead, “so when we bring opportunities like ESL to them, they know there is a meaningful fit with their values and strategy.”
The move also facilitates business design initiatives to reshape business model innovation to explore further potential in existing ESL & DreamHack platforms and discovering new ones, such as creation of new partnership projects aimed to bring additional value to esports enthusiasts and gamers around the world.
“Gaming culture is deep, diverse, and nuanced. You cannot declare yourself a gamer and think you can speak their language”, said Bernhard Mogk, Global SVP Business Development. “The FTW team has gaming in their DNA, several of them are accomplished esports competitors. This deep passion is the only way to forge meaningful innovation while respecting the integrity of the culture.”
A first official appearance of both partners will be at MAD//FEST 12th November. ESL’s Global CMO, Rodrigo Samwell, and DDB FTW’s Strategy Director, George Strakhov, will be appearing together in a live-streamed slot.
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About ESL Gaming
ESL Gaming is the world’s largest esports and gaming lifestyle company. Since 1994, the company has been shaping the industry and leading esports and gaming innovation on a global scale across the most popular video games with numerous online and offline esports competitions, and through premier gaming lifestyle festivals. The company operates high-profile, branded international leagues and tournaments under the ESL Pro Tour, including ESL One, Intel® Extreme Masters, DreamHack Masters, ESL Pro League, and other preeminent, stadium-size tournaments. ESL Gaming also produces and hosts DreamHack Open tournaments, ESL National Championships, grassroots amateur cups, matchmaking systems, and DreamHack’s gaming lifestyle festivals — which feature everything gaming under one roof. ESL Gaming is part of MTG, the leading international digital entertainment group. More information is available at eslfaceitgroup.com.
About DDB
DDB Worldwide (www.ddb.com) is one of the world’s largest and most influential advertising and marketing networks. DDB has been named Agency of the Year numerous times by the Cannes International Festival of Creativity and many other of the industry’s leading advertising publications and awards shows. The agency’s clients include Mars, McDonald’s, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever and Volkswagen among others.
Founded in 1949, DDB is part of the Omnicom Group (NYSE) and consists of more than 200 offices in over 90 countries with its flagship office in New York, NY.
About OMNICOM
Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE – OMC) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom’s branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.