The brand benefits of breaking into gaming – Marketing Week

Fortnite, Candy Crush and Pokémon Go are not just games, they’re brands. The level of fame is such that fashion house Moschino created a Candy Crush capsule collection, while Premier League footballers frequently borrow dance moves from Fortnite to celebrate their goals.

The pay off is that collaborating with a gaming brand can give businesses instant access to a highly engaged, gender diverse audience, which – depending on the game – could be far younger than their traditional target market.

As well as tapping into this young and engaged audience, a game like Fortnite, for instance, launches new missions, skins and emotes on a daily basis meaning there is always something to keep players hooked.

A number of brands are already embracing these opportunities.

Samsung offered exclusive access to Fortnite on Android to coincide with the launch of its Galaxy Note9 in August 2018, while Nike took its Air Jordan I trainers to the platform in May, giving players the chance to play in a pair of Jordans and embark on challenges to unlock exclusive skins and skateboard sprays.

American fast food chain Wendy’s went a step further in December by creating its own avatar and getting stuck into the gameplay, following the announcement that Fortnite was introducing a food fight mode.

“We didn’t want to show up as another brand advertiser paying for in-game logos or ads,” explains Carl Loredo, US CMO at Wendy’s.

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