Tag: Esports

Singapore – A new exclusive partnership has been formed between ad platforms AdColony and Anzu.io, which entails AdColony to offer Anzu.io’s in-blend advertising solutions across both video and display to brands and agencies within the Asia Pacific.

The new partnership now allows seamless advertising to games such as custom-paint Formula One race cars or virtual perimeter of an in-game football studio, where brands can now create deeper levels of engagement with the gaming community.

Screenshot from Samsung in-game advertising campaign inside Axis Football  (Credit: Anzu.io)

Alongside the partnership is a suite of industry tools, which includes campaign effectiveness measurement, fraud prevention, and ad verification for the first time to bring to fruition the in-game advertising integration. 

According to their press release, more than 1.5 billion consumers in Asia Pacific are gamers, where70 percent play games daily on their mobiles. Furthermore, 40 percent claim to play more games since the COVID-19 outbreak.

Screenshot of an in-game ad from 7-Eleven mobile campaign in Gravity Rider Zero (Credit: Anzu.io)

“We passionately believe that gaming is the new and improved social media for marketers in terms of connecting with consumers at scale. This opportunity has been accelerated in recent months with the pandemic, and 2020 has seen an enormous uplift in the demand for new solutions for brands to reach gaming audiences,” said Tom Simpson, AdColony’s senior vice president for APAC.

He also added, “This partnership allows AdColony’s expertise in APAC markets to combine with Anzu’s global-leading blended in-game ad technology to offer a unique solution for brands to connect with consumers seamlessly in and around their favorite games. We look forward to pioneering new marketing offerings for our clients and delivering great work across APAC.”


Anzu’s CEO and Co-founder Itamar Benedy commented, “APAC is really the epicenter of worldwide gaming, and Anzu is thrilled to bring the combination of our programmatic in-game advertising experience with AdColony’s offerings to the region. This partnership represents a major opportunity for advertisers who are ready and eager to reach these ultra-engaged audiences.”

Manila, Philippines – China-based game developer Moonton has tapped Filipino professional boxer Manny Pacquiao to become the new face of the company’s game, Mobile Legends.

The campaign started out with a teaser on Mobile Legends’ YouTube channel, where the video shows boxing material elements like boxing gloves and punching bags, with an announcer voice-over revealing the new collaboration with “The fighting pride of the Philippines.”  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nckwqY3X-Oo
The teaser uploaded by Mobile Legends on November 13, hinting the inclusion of another in-game hero (Video Courtesy of Mobile Legends YouTube channel)

In a virtual press conference, Pacquiao shared his excitement with the new partnership, and took note of the growth of the local esports community.

“It is an amazing experience [since] I have seen how much the esports community in the Philippines has grown [and] how much the gaming community has embraced Mobile Legends Bang Bang, and with their skills, have elevated the game,” Pacquiao stated.

He added, “The dedication, the focus, the hard work that comes with building skills–these are present both in [actual] sports and esports. More importantly, that drive to succeed and conquer, as well as the spirit of camaraderie and fairness are also key threads binding the two.”

The recent company move is in line with its ongoing Project NEXT initiative, which seeks to provide “revamp” of the game’s original characters and improving them. As part of the campaign, Mobile Legends is launching a new hero based on Manny Pacquiao called “Paquito” which features boxing skills, with “damage” and “chase” specialty.

A Mobile Legends gameplay featuring the new “Paquito” hero, resembling Manny Pacquiao (Video Courtesy of OzaRess YouTube channel)

“Playing Mobile Legends has become a daily routine to all the [Filipinos]. The Philippine culture also provides a steady stream for the inspiration of in-game updates and collaborations,” William Mei, marketing manager of Moonton stated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6InxBaL_WM

London, United Kingdom – In-game advertising company Bidstack recently announced a new partner network with media partner platform Httpool and elite esports service agency GIMA Esports in the hopes of broadening up relationships to more brands and media platforms internationally.

Httpool’s partnership will mean an exclusive commercial focus on the Indian market. With a diverse portfolio of media partners and brands internationally, Bidstack aims at localizing its market expansion within the Indian esports culture.

On the other hand, GIMA Esports’ inclusion means a more diversified launch platform for Bidstack, offering services such as media partnerships, influencer, and brand activation. The esports agency has been responsible for maintaining esport relationships across US and MENA, with brands such as Twitch, Riot Games, and Hyper X joining their growing client portfolio.

Since the global pandemic started, advertisers have since then shifted their focus to gaming and esports channels as a viable marketing stream. With this, Bidstack hopes that such partner networks would help marketers create brand-safe and relevant ad campaigns within the esports culture.

“Shifts in media consumption globally are making it harder for advertisers to reach their audiences and there has been a significant industry-wide discussion about how these changes could be here to stay,” said Yasin Dabhelia, Bidstack’s global demand partnerships director.

As for Httpool, Amit Gupta, managing partner for Httpool India stated, “Marketers today are increasingly focussing on gaming and esports as a marketing channel. This has become even more obvious during lockdowns. And so, partnering with Bidstack has come at the right time. It creates an opportunity for us to actively participate in the discussion around how to activate the gaming space in the most authentic way and figure out the best ways to talk to gamers”.

Singapore — Esports entertainment company Ampverse today announced the appointment of Tim Roemer (pictured) as Director of Operations. In his role, Roemer will support the growth of Ampverse as the company is set to scale across Southeast Asia.

Video gaming is a cultural marker, especially in Asia, with the entire industry predicted to grow to US$6.9billion by 2026, and the Asia-Pacific region accounting for over 51% of gaming enthusiasts. 

Gaming communities, largely made up of Gen-Z audiences, hold the power to create seismic cultural shifts. With that belief, Ampverse creates and celebrates gaming communities across Southeast Asia. 

Ampverse works with brands to drive awareness, engagement, consideration and purchase among Gen-Z audiences, through the Ampverse ecosystem that includes a suite of owned-and-operated esports teams, gaming channels, original content programming, publishing assets and merchandise. 

As Director of Operations at Ampverse, Roemer’s role is largely to implement efficient organizational processes to support the company’s expansion. He will also work closely with the C-suite team to analyze growth and acquisition opportunities across esports, content and product divisions.

Roemer boasts a strong entrepreneurial background, having successfully founded ventures including performance marketing company, Heroleads, which he grew and scaled to over 200 people in five years. 

Commenting on his appointment, Roemer said, “Ampverse consistently remains one step ahead of the curve and I’m thrilled to be a part of this high-performing company.

The video gaming industry, while still nascent in Southeast Asia, is displaying remarkable potential with vast opportunities for growth.

Tim Roemer, Director of Operations at Ampverse

Helping to scale the business across the region is a challenge I’m truly looking forward to taking, with the added benefit of working alongside a talented, high-calibre team.”

Ferdinand Gutierrez, Co-Founder and CEO at Ampverse added, “We established Ampverse based on the belief that hyperlocal communities have the power to drive change. Everyone in our team is a specialist in their own right, bringing together strengths and knowledge from their unique backgrounds to drive these gaming communities.

The appointment of Tim is a testament to Ampverse’s accelerated growth and reflects our commitment to hire the best, enabling us to continue to deliver innovative gaming-centric campaigns that help brands maintain their competitive edge and connect with Gen-Zs.”