eSports
KITKAT BECOMES MAIN PARTNER OF THE LEC 2021 AND LAUNCHES “MISSION CONTROL” WITH SPORTFIVE

KitKat extends its partnership with the Esports League of Legends European Championship (LEC) as Main Partner for 2021. Global sports business agency SPORTFIVE secured the deal and produced a hero commercial for the kick-off.
After enabling KitKat’s first and successful experience within the esports ecosystem last year, sports business agency SPORTFIVE again is the chocolate brand’s esports lead agency of choice and delivers an integrated and comprehensive solution for KitKat: From facilitating and concluding the rights deal over consulting to the execution of final activation, ranging from campaigning and producing the new commercial to social media content and sweepstakes.
As one of the most iconic chocolate brands in the world, KitKat offers the perfect opportunity to lean back and enjoy breaks from the League of Legends European Championship actions. All gaming and esports activations reflect KitKat’s DNA: humorous, empathic and unpretentious. Under the claim “Even the Biggest Champ Needs A Break” the brand is picking up typical gamer situations, linking it to what the brand stands for: relaxing breaks that bring a smile, especially in situations where gamers feel tilted.
As part of the extended partnership in 2021, SPORTFIVE created a sub campaign around the claim “Even the Biggest Champ Needs A Break” and produced a 30 seconds hero commercial with the title “MISSION CONTROL”, extending the story around gaming breaks being a crucial part of a gamers lifestyle.
“Putting a gamer in front of the monitor and placing the brand logo next to it? Anyone can do that. This is why we are following another approach and are kicking off the LEC partnership with a specially produced image spot that brings fun, entertainment and shows the gamer from a ‘different side’. We are presenting the gamer multifaced. As a gamer sometimes you struggle with yourself: Should I continue playing after a loose streak? Should I think of the team first or my own performance? We create situations that every gamer can relate to and literally jump into the head – the MISSION CONTROL” | Georg Fischer, Marketing Manager for KitKat in Europe, Middle East and North Africa
KitKat is leaving space for every distinctive character trait of a gamer, giving each characteristic a brief but memorable stage to shine: SKILL is responsible for motor skills, REASON for analyzing situations neutrally. MIND is the brain and INTELLIGENCE keeps a cool head and always makes the right decisions. And then we have EGO – a character that does not contribute much to the team effort but is indispensable for gamers. When a team is not working together as planned, the only thing that helps is bringing relaxation into the chaos through a break, enjoying KitKat chocolate and getting a new perspective. After this break every gamer will find the balance that can lead to victory. More episodes and side stories will be gradually launched on various social media platforms.
“The extension and the associated upgrade of KitKat in the LEC as Main Partner fully pays off the success of the partnership as well as the activations to date. Together with KitKat, we want to communicate the positive side of breaks with a wink and focus on the fun in and out of the community. We are starting the new year with MISSION CONTROL and still have a lot of plans for KitKat in 2021” | Eike Gyllensvärd, Executive Vice President Global Esports Partnerships at SPORTFIVE
“We’re so happy to be signing on again with KitKat as one of our main partners for 2021. We had such a fruitful time together in 2020, with KitKat helping us to deliver some top level content for our fans,” says Alban Dechelotte, Head of Sponsorships & New Business EU Esports at Riot Games. “KitKat started with a pilot initially, with a relatively low level of activity; so it’s incredible that they have recognized the value of our partnership to the extent that they are now one of the major league esports partners across the LEC and local leagues and teams across Europe.”
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eSports
UNITED KINGDOM TO HOST 2024 PUBG MOBILE GLOBAL CHAMPIONSHIP

PUBG MOBILE Esports is thrilled to announce that the 2024 PUBG MOBILE Global Championship (PMGC) will be held in the UK, taking place live next December with a $3 million prize pool. The first time a major PUBG MOBILE event has been hosted in the UK, this tournament will bring local fans a unique opportunity to see the very best skill that the world has to offer. This news comes ahead of this year’s 2023 PUBG MOBILE Grand Finals in Istanbul.
James Yang, Senior Director of PUBG MOBILE Global Esports, announced the news during the opening ceremony of the 2023 PMGC Grand Finals, with the exact UK location to be revealed at a later date. This is the first time a major PUBG MOBILE event has been held in the country and the first in Western Europe since 2018.
The highlight of the PUBG MOBILE Esports calendar, the PMGC brings together dozens of teams from around the world to compete in the ultimate showcase of talent. This year’s Grand Finals are taking place this weekend in Istanbul, Türkiye, where the final sixteen teams remaining in the competition will battle it out to become PUBG MOBILE World Champion.
Joining next year’s PMGC in the top tier of PUBG MOBILE Esports events, as well as next year’s midseason tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is the PUBG MOBILE Global Open (PMGO), which will take place in Brazil throughout March and April 2024 and feature a $500,000 prize pool.
eSports
Global Esports Federation joins UNESCO Chair on Governance & Social Responsibility

The Global Esports Federation is honored by the appointment of Thanos Karagrounas, GEF’s Executive Director, Strategy & Impact, as a member of the Advisory Committee of the UNESCO Chair on Governance and Social Responsibility in Sport.
The UNESCO Chair was established in June 2023 with the long-term aim of fostering an integrated system of research, education, and training to enhance the quality of governance practices within the sport industry and advocate socially responsible program designs that prioritize sport as a core component.
As a global leader in the realm of sustainable development and social impact, Thanos Karagrounas has been appointed to play a pivotal role in the Advisory Committee, co-coordinating one of the six strategic pillars on esports.
“It is a distinct honor to be a member of this esteemed group of internationally renowned experts. The opportunity to combine our diverse experiences and perspectives will contribute to the Chair’s objectives. The inclusion of esports as one of the UNESCO Chair’s six strategic pillars, underscores the important role GEF is playing in the governance and social responsibility realm and our commitment towards making an impact on a global scale.” ~ Thanos Karagrounas, GEF Executive Director, Strategy & Impact
The GEF convenes its #worldconnected esports community, harnessing the energy to drive meaningful progress. As a member of the Advisory Committee, the GEF looks forward to contributing its expertise to accelerate its overall contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
DUST Identity Inc.
DUST Identity Announces $40M Series B and Partnership with Oxygen Esports

DUST Identity Inc., whose technology enables product authentication by linking physical items to their digital records, announced the launch of its mobile solution, which is fueling its growth into new industries. Initially designed for high-security applications, the company is now expanding its offerings to include the authentication of luxury goods, artwork, game-used apparel and memorabilia, and other one-of-a-kind items. This expansion comes as DUST signs a partnership with Oxygen Esports and raises $40M in Series B funding.
DUST Identity’s new product line for mobile is an on-demand solution that reinforces authenticity for any physical object of value by enhancing the traceability and visibility of the object’s origin. Oxygen Esports, one of North America’s largest multi-title esports organizations, will leverage this new solution through a recently signed partnership agreement with DUST. This partnership comes as DUST sees keen interest from the sports and entertainment space. It also signals DUST’s growing commitment to enabling organizations to build meaningful and long-lasting relationships with fans through the activation of authentic, game-used merchandise.
“The merchandise we sell reinforces our brand reputation and DUST’s solution is helping us protect our brand, athletes, and fans from counterfeit memorabilia. We’re looking forward to working with DUST to unlock rich omnichannel experiences for fans, as we leverage their technology,” Dani Marks, CMO at OXG, said.
The partnership with Oxygen Esports and launch of the company’s mobile solution follows a $40 million Series B round led by Castle Island Ventures, with participation from Amex Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Airbus Ventures, 8VC, and others.
For new investor Amex Ventures, this round signifies an opportunity to invest in an innovative solution that can help brands enhance trust with their customers and unlock new growth opportunities.
“We all interact with many physical items daily, but largely have no proof of these items’ origin. By linking a physical item to its digital record, DUST’s technology provides new capabilities to track and trace an item across its lifecycle. In doing so, DUST helps unlock new customer engagement opportunities and loyalty concepts for brands across a wide range of industries,” Margaret Lim, Managing Director of Amex Ventures, said.
Ophir Gaathon, CEO and Co-Founder of DUST Identity, said: “People want to trust that the products they are spending their time and money on are genuine, and the foundation of that trust comes from being able to validate an item’s authenticity. Our technology provides that validation. DUST Identity has broadened its mission of protecting and connecting everything that matters by introducing our new mobile solution. We’re excited to utilize our funding to deliver on this mission as we bring our technology to many new industries.”
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