SEOUL: South Korean automobile maker Kia Motors has extended its wide range of sport sponsorship deals, foraying into eSports this time, being named the official partner and title sponsor of the League of Legends European championships (LEC).
As part of an integrated marketing campaign, Kia has launched a new film called ‘Ready to Play’, created in collaboration with some of the LEC’s most well-known ‘casters’ (online gaming commentators). It will create new digital marketing content throughout 2019 to grab fans’ attention, featuring prominent players, casters and Kia vehicles.
Kia will also host promotional booths at LEC stadium events, and create original content with eSports team ‘Fnatic’, who have won the League of Legends championships seven times, as they drive the latest vehicles of the brand.
“Kia is already well-known for its sports sponsorships, and this partnership represents another marketing innovation from the brand. In parallel with our ties to more traditional sports this eSports sponsorship will demonstrate how Kia supports the lives and lifestyles of a younger generation of digital natives.
“Our inaugural film, featuring some of the most well-known League of Legends casters, celebrates the start of a new and exciting era for Kia Motors and eSports, and we are excited to become a main partner to the League of Legends European Championship in 2019,” Kia Motors CMO Yong Won Cho said.
“We are excited to partner with Kia and join a prestigious list of events and sports brands as we enter a new era for the League of Legends European Championship, which is the leading eSport league in Europe. We look forward to working together with Kia to provide an experience that money can’t buy for all League of Legends players across Europe,” Riot Games EU head of sponsorships and business development Alban Dechelotte said.
