2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for Entertainment?

In an unprecedented time where the automotive category was plummeting, we saw an opportunity to increase market share within a new territory. Shifting away from saturated communication, we boldly entered the ever-growing Esports realm. Through the introduction of Joy Unleashed, BMW overtook the gaming scene & competition through a range of activities, from hosting the largest regional tournament to collaborating with the biggest gaming names. We delivered gamers’ desires across the full consumer journey & drove impactful business results, propelling esports as the most efficient vertical yet! Joy Unleashed was “The most efficient vertical for brand ever yet!”

Background

We wanted to expand BMW’s marketing communication & position them as a leading Esports player in the region through Joy Unleashed, overtaking existing competitors Mercedes & Audi. Our aim was to increase SOV, reach of gaming audiences, and ultimately generate qualitative BMW prospects.

Describe the creative idea

The global pandemic has daunted industries at scale with the automotive sector experiencing a large disruption. Simultaneously, usage soared in the gaming world as consumers of broad demographics sought out a joyous environment during lockdown. The GCC holds a gaming penetration of 83%, which is a potential pool of 44M enthusiasts. In a millennial driven region – we found that 68% of gamers are over the age of 21, 40% hold high purchasing power, of which 35% own a premium or luxury vehicle. Not only are they first in line to discover new experiences and buy expensive items online, but they are also attracted to tech-savvy products – a flawless match for BMW.

Describe the strategy

Considering the audience was a potential segment and living in a time of receptivity, it was the perfect time to introduce the “Joy Unleashed” platform by focusing on the 3 main desires of audiences within the gaming environment including an outlet to compete, a space to learn, and a platform to discuss the latest news. We built awareness & consideration by integrating BMW within the gaming world and extended the thrill of BMWs products and services within the lower funnel of the consumer journey.

Describe the execution

We elevated Joy Unleashed by tying up with the region’s largest & most developed Esports tournament organizer, GamersHub (GHME). Through this partnership, we were able to work hand in hand to deliver the 3 main verticals our target audience desired – Battle of the Gamers, LVL Up Academy, and GLHF (Good Luck Have Fun) Podcast. Battle of the Gamers (BOTG) is an online tournament, which gave our consumer an outlet to compete in 7 popular gaming titles with a tempting prize pool of $50K. We created LVL Up Academy as a learning platform that connected casual and professional players to improve their skills. GLHF Podcast provided a conversational platform including an online video series that allowed discussions around the latest news surrounding the gaming world.

Describe the outcome

The heart of our activations lived online and relied heavily on exciting content including a captivating manifesto video, in addition to 3,600 assets – all of which were showcased across paid, owned & earned touchpoints (BMW Website, social media, gaming celebrities & influencers, PR and within the actual games). Tournaments took place through social media & streaming channels and allowed the brand to resonate on a fan-based perspective. The content was amplified with a business-driven message to generate both affinity and bottom line results. 1st and 3rd party data was collected through gaming registrations, engagement through owned channels – and ultimately utilized to drive business outcomes through BMW CRM channels. In the second phase, we leveraged the captured 1st and 3rd party data by creating custom & lookalike audiences across social channels, retargeting them with tailor made BMW gaming assets & product related content to drive lower funnel action.