KITKAT SIGNS OFF MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LEC, EU MASTERS AND BECOMES PARTNER OF THE LCL AND 12 EUROPEAN REGIONAL LEAGUES
International sports business agency SPORTFIVE brokered the partnership between KitKat and Riot Games. build a rocket is the gaming & esports activation agency of choice.
Following the successful collaboration, KitKat extends its partnership with the LEC & European Masters and announces its long-term Esports commitment. The iconic chocolate brand company becomes the official partner of the LEC and EU Masters, Europe’s largest League of Legends competitions. Furthermore, KitKat partners up with the LCL and 12 League of Legends European Regional Leagues.
KitKat continues to focus its attention on the Esports and Gaming market. Starting in 2020, SPORTFIVE facilitated the successful partnership between the chocolate company and Riot Games-operated League of Legends tournaments LEC Spring and Summer Split. The activations were carried out underneath the campaign slogan “Even the biggest Champ needs a Break” as well as accompanying commercials, content pieces and memes, uniting all of KitKat’s gaming and Esports activations. As part of the ongoing partnership, a dedicated gaming channel was subsequently launched on Twitter with digital incentives being raffled to fans. In 2021, KitKat has become the main partner of the LEC and communicates its extensive Esports commitment through the “Mission Control” campaign, telling an extended story around gaming breaks that every gamer can relate to.
The main goal of the long-term partnership with the LEC, EU Masters, the LCL and 12 European Regional Leagues is still to address and interact with the growing Esports audience in Europe by adding authentic value to the community. In the supporting commercial, KitKat presents itself to the target group in its usual humorous fashion and, true to the motto “Even the biggest Champ needs a Break,” manages to breathe positive emotions into the technical breaks during league matches, which are often perceived as negative. KitKat changed the perspective of these breaks and makes them more valuable for fans, using them for fan engagement activations, raffling prizes and creating entertaining moments during breaks between matches on social platforms. The multi-faceted partnership between KitKat and Riot Games was brokered by international sports business agency SPORTFIVE and is activated by build a rocket. Esports consulting agency build a rocket became part of SPORTFIVE earlier this year, enabling the sports rights marketer to position itself in the market with a leading global Esports unit. Since this merger, the holistic consulting and pan-European activation for KitKat lies within build a rocket.
“We are very proud to have developed the collaboration between KitKat and Riot into one of the most significant non-endemic partnerships in Esports. Together with SPORTFIVE, we look forward to shaping, implementing and supporting this partnership in all aspects.”
Alexander Albrecht, Managing Director at build a rocket.
“It’s a pleasure to be working with a team that is truly passionate about Esports. KitKat pursues a clear Esports strategy in which the community is approached in a media-appropriate and authentic style on all relevant channels. The potential for non-endemic brands across Esports and gaming is diverse and still largely untapped. We are very happy to bring the successful partnership with Riot Games to a new level through the expert support of SPORTFIVE and build a rocket.“
Georg Fischer, Marketing Manager KitKat - Europe, Middle East, North Africa.
„After opening the door for KitKat into the LEC and the fascinating world of Gaming and Esports in 2020, we are proud to now collectively drive this partnership between KitKat and Riot even further. KitKat’s commitment to an overall yet targeted presence in the League of Legends cosmos is a powerful affirmation of the value and unlimited potential of this partnership.“
Eike Gyllensvärd, Executive Vice President Global Esports Partnerships SPORTFIVE.
“We are thrilled to extend our partnership with KitKat for LEC and welcome them on board to European Masters as one of our main partners through a multi-year deal,” says Zeynep Gencaga, Senior Business Development Manager Riot Games for Esports EMEA. “After a creative entry into the scene through a pilot by supporting the LEC breaks, KitKat is now becoming one of the most important partners of esports in Europe. Following the extension of the partnership to European language broadcasts, this Summer Split will showcase the partnership across 12 ERLs. It is a pleasure to be working with the team over at KitKat committed to creating meaningful moments and engaging content for our fans.”
SPORTFIVE utilizes the unique emotional power of sports to create and enable pioneering partnerships in sports. By delivering responsible commercialization, full-service-solutions and long-term value for all stakeholders in sports, SPORTFIVE strategically and creatively connects brands, rights-holders, media platforms and fans by leveraging a global network paired with decades of experience and innovative spirit. As market leader and with customer centricity and vast data intelligence at its core, SPORTFIVE often leads the sports business into the future through its innovative digital solutions and thereby always aims to be the most progressive and respected partner in sports. SPORTFIVE operates as an international sports business and marketing agency with a global mindset and network of over 1,200 local experts based in 15 countries around the world, active in football, golf, esports, motorsport, handball, tennis, American football and many more. For more information, please visit SPORTFIVE’s website, content hub and social profiles.
build a rocket was launched in 2016 by Alexander Albrecht and Tobias Heim and acquired by SPORTFIVE in 2021, creating a leading global Esports unit. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, build a rocket set their focus on marketing, developing sustainable and community-focused activation options and connecting non-endemic brands to the Esports universe. The company offers a vast network in the Esports, gaming, broadcast, digital publishing and marketing sectors and shares a common interest in growing the market while staying authentic and preserving its spirit of playfulness. The Cologne, Germany-based agency build a rocket successfully partnered with companies such as SAP, 20th Century Fox and Sony PlayStation, creating strategies and activation options that enabled brands to position themselves as part of the Esports industry and reach new audiences. For more information, visit build a rocket’s website and LinkedIn profile.
KitKat is one of the most iconic Chocolate brands in the world with presence in over 80 countries around the Globe and promotes since the 1930’ ‘Have a break, have a KitKat.’ As part of the Nestlé family, KitKat is a pillar brand in the company’s Cocoa Plan for sustainable cocoa sourcing and at the forefront of innovation in the industry with products like KitKat Ruby or personalized KitKat in its Chocolatory flagship stores. Nestlé pursues an ambitious plan to make KITKAT completely CO2 neutral by 2025. The company recently announced it will invest up to CHF 2 billion to lead the shift from virgin plastics to food-grade recycled plastics and to accelerate the development of innovative sustainable packaging solutions whilst working with others to advance the circular economy and endeavour to clean up plastic waste from oceans, lakes and rivers. For more information, find us at nestle.com and follow KitKat on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
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