Jung von Matt is one of Germany’s largest independent marketing groups and was named Independent Studio of the Year at the 2018 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. The agency made its esports industry debut in 2017 with an ambitious Mercedes Benz campaign and has since worked with a variety of teams and brands as part of its sports division.
At Intel 
Extreme Masters Katowice, The Esports Observer sat down with Toan Nguyen, executive strategy director and associate partner for Jung von Matt, who discussed the strategy, trends, and advantages of marketing for esports.
In December, Jung von Matt/SPORTS created a campaign for INTERSPORT that used “unboxing” videos to reveal its sponsorship of SK Gaming .
“We ultimately knew there was inherent hype-potential and we wanted to tap into that space.”
“The fun thing about esports marketing is that you can move away from traditional thinking and traditional structures,” said Nguyen. “You can be way more creative when doing things. We immediately saw that there was a very attractive time window with the upcoming roster announcement because we knew that the LCS was rebranding themselves.
“We ultimately knew there was inherent hype-potential and we wanted to tap into that space. And then we thought, ‘okay, what is something that really interests fans?’ It’s ultimately the roster. Everyone wants to know the players that are going to play in the game.”
Credit: SK Gaming
Nguyen and his team created two videos—in the first, players from SK Gaming emerged from giant boxes to reveal their new jerseys. In the second, the rosters were revealed for the League of Legends European Championship (LEC).
“I think apparel is a very interesting topic in esports,” said Nguyen, adding that while players are under a high level of stress, they don’t typically sweat like a football player. This means that apparel sponsorship can get creative with style and function.
“I think having traditional jerseys was an old signal of the esports industry to convey to sponsors that this just a regular sport. It’s about teams competing, it’s about fans, it’s about fandom,” he said. “You had to use some traditional codes to make the old industry understand what’s going on here. I don’t think we have to do it like this anymore.”
“I think apparel is a very interesting topic in esports.”
Nguyen used SNIPES as an example of how an apparel brand can become a sponsor without having to adhere to the traditional jersey design or advertising methods. SNIPES launched its first mousesports collection with a short anime film featuring rapper Rick Ross and DJ Premier.
“I think that it’s important for apparel brands to find their own twist and to find their own point of view within the esports scene,” he said. “SNIPES is about urban culture, [but it’s also] a little bit about streetwear, pop culture, and swag. We really wanted to keep that DNA and blend that in because we ultimately think esports is pop culture and urban culture as well. That was a great sweet spot for Snipes. I agree with the statement that ultimately almost every team will have an apparel partner, but not all apparel will look the same. We should be free in our thinking!”
Credit: mouseports
Of all the work his team has accomplished over the past year, the biggest campaign that stands out for Nguyen is #RiseOn for Mercedes Benz. The legacy automotive brand entered the esports industry as the main sponsor of ESL One Hamburg 2017 and quickly made a name for itself with team-branded cars, signage, and commentary that spawned dozens of memes online.
“Having Mercedes Benz in this space is something that fills us with much pride,” Nguyen said. “Not only just having the brand, but having the brand activate in that way is something that we feel is very special. Obviously, all the other cases and deals were awesome as well. But I think Mercedes Benz is genuinely the benchmark currently within the space.”
Nguyen added that the deal only took three-to-four months, as opposed to the usual six-to-eight.
“Having Mercedes Benz in this space is something that fills us with much pride.”
“It clearly shows how committed Mercedes Benz was from the beginning,” he said. “If you remember, the first announcement already included four events at once. It was a tryout, but a truly dedicated one!
Mercedes was eager to jump in, but had different challenges than endemic brands, explained Nguyen. The vehicle brand didn’t want to just sponsor the esports community—it wanted to become a part of it.
Credit: Mercedes Benz
“We started with a simple strategic brand POV: Mercedes empowers the ‘new stars’ to shine brighter,” said Nguyen. “So, everything we do is about enhancing an existing experience and elevating it to a new level. We are trying to give all the characters—the cosplayers, the players, and even the casters—a means to shine brighter, a means to elevate the game, and a means to increase their visibility with [a Mercedes Benz vehicle].”
The result was a campaign that acknowledged gamers trying to make their own way in a new industry—and a very different career opportunity than their parents probably imagined. Activations included but were not limited to team-branded vehicles, signage, and a new car to whoever won the coveted MVP award.
“So, everything we do is about enhancing an existing experience and elevating it to a new level.”
“[The Mercedes Benz vehicle prize is] something that adds value to the space for the simple reason of it creating an emotional bond,” Nguyen explained. “It’s not about the money, it’s about the symbol! If you look at all the teams, they’re trying to win the tournament, but they are also triggered about who’s getting the car. They create memes around that.
“This is something that creates earned media. It gets people talking. It’s something that players want to have. So it has a high level of aspiration. And in that sense, the MVP is something that clearly exemplifies the strategy of Mercedes Benz.”
Editor’s note: This interview was conducted by Graham Ashton.
Want to hear more about the intersection of esports and marketing? Toan Nguyen will be a speaker at the HIVE esports business conference in Berlin on April 11, 2019. The first international esports business conference in Europe’s capital of esports. An unprecedented conference format featuring thought leaders of industries adjacent to esports sharing their insights. Click here to reserve your seat!
