eSports
Halls and Virtus.pro announce partnership

VMLY&R (part of WPP), Carat and The Story Lab (part of dentsu Russia) agencies continue to develop the esports direction for Halls (Mondelez International). The cooperation with ESforce, the largest esports organization in Russia, opens a new page for the brand cooperation.
Halls will be integrated into Virtus.pro media resources (part of ESforce).
The creative idea of the esports campaign was developed by the VML&R agency. The integration ideas were developed by The Story Lab together with ESforce. The media support is provided by Carat agency. As part of the cooperation, a promotional video has been prepared with the first Dota 2 roster. The video will be published on the club’s official YouTube channel. Within six months, Virtus.pro accounts will host posts with integrations of Halls brand, banners, articles on the site, etc.
Anna Semchuk, Senior Brand Development Manager: “For more than 120 years, the Halls brand’s mission has been to help the world breathe better. A charge of menthol in each pack is a crisp breath of air, an opportunity to focus on the moments that matter. Halls gives you a boost of concentration so you can get the most out of the game. The creative idea is ”Nothing will distract you from winning if you are charged with concentration with Halls” – perfectly reflects the new brand positioning”.
Alexander Mishutin, Director of Customer Relations at Carat: “The project’s goal was to strengthen the brand’s positioning among the young audience, where esports is an important communication channel. Such cooperation is interesting and promising for Halls in terms of engagement, increasing loyalty and the chance of attracting a new audience. The key message of the campaign, “Increase your concentration and win prizes for the best game together with Halls and Virtus.pro!”, will be supported on YouTube, VK and other resources with videos engaging Virtus.pro players”.
Sergey Glamazda, Virtus.pro General Manager: “ESforce Holding has been cooperating with the Mondelez brands for a long time. Joint projects have repeatedly shown their effectiveness and this time Halls brand becomes a Virtus.pro partner. I am pleased to welcome Halls and I am confident that our collaboration will resonate with the esports audience.”
Evgeny Podergin, Senior Copywriter VMLY&R: “The simple truth is: as you get down to the game, so you will make it. For esports players, mood and concentration before a match are as important as for traditional sportsmen. When hundreds of important things are happening on the screen in front of you every minute, you have no option to lose focus. This is the essence of our campaign and the main thing of Halls RTB. Thanks to menthol, our drops can really help you focus at the right moment, take a deep breath, exhale and throw yourself into the game without any distraction, which can prevent you from victory.”
In 2020, Halls brand has already sponsored an esports championship. Within the framework of the project, Carat agency appreciated the effectiveness of esports integrations. According to the study, Halls brand video was remembered by more than 50% of the audience, while the benchmark for FMCG brands here is only 32%. In addition to the record values, the experts of Carat revealed a loyal attitude of the esports audience to advertising integrations.
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eSports
PlayVS Announces Multi-year Partnership with Zenni Optical

PlayVS, the leading esports platform in North America, announced a multi-year partnership with Zenni Optical, the world’s leading online eyewear retailer. This partnership establishes Zenni as the official eyewear partner of PlayVS, bringing exclusive benefits to PlayVS’ esports community.
As part of this collaboration, Zenni will serve as the official eyewear partner of the PlayVS Cup, the annual national esports championship for high school students. The Cup provides top scholastic esports teams from across the country with an opportunity to compete for a national title and earn recognition and awards, including college scholarships. Zenni’s partnership will help power scholarship prizes for Cup finalists, furthering PlayVS’ dedication to empowering students and supporting their educational and athletic ambitions. These scholarships not only aid with alleviating financial strain, but also highlight esports as a viable pathway to academic and professional success.
Zenni’s eyewear will also be included in the prize packages that PlayVS Cup champions and PlayVS Awards winners receive, providing students with high quality eyewear to complement their gaming performance. Additionally, Zenni will offer members of the PlayVS community exclusive discounts on eyewear.
“We are excited to partner with PlayVS and expand our ongoing support of the gaming and esports community. Empowering a dedicated high school esports program that not only will generate awareness around the importance of eye health to a new generation of gamers but also support their academic pursuits is such an amazing opportunity for Zenni to partner with,” said Robb Chiarini, Head of Partnerships, Licensing, & Events at Zenni Optical.
Through this partnership, Zenni will also be integrated into PlayVS’ content series, Road to the PlayVS Cup, a set of videos showcasing different esports programs across the nation as they compete to earn a spot in the PlayVS Cup.
“Partnering with Zenni is a natural fit for us as we continue to grow the high school esports community. Zenni shares our commitment to supporting students in both esports and academics. By joining forces with Zenni, we’re empowering students with scholarships and enabling them to partake in healthy competition to foster their esports careers. We’re excited to work together and bring Zenni’s eyewear to our community of gamers,” said Jon Chapman, CEO of PlayVS.
The post PlayVS Announces Multi-year Partnership with Zenni Optical appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
eSports
Genius Sports Signs Partnerships with Bayes Esports and GRID

Genius Sports Limited has signed new partnerships with Bayes Esports and GRID Esports (GRID) to provide sportsbooks with the highest-quality official esports offering.
GRID, as the only game data platform directly working with the game publishers will provide Genius Sports with exclusive access to official live esports data from League of Legends, and VALORANT, the fastest-growing betting esports title, alongside Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six data, and a robust portfolio of CS2 and Dota2 data from the global tournaments by BLAST and Champion of Champions.
Genius Sports’ sportsbook partners will also be able to access official streaming and data visualizations powered by official GRID data.
Bayes Esports is helping power Genius Sports’ esports offering with its highly granular Live Match Data. As the exclusive data partner of key esports tournament organisers such as ESL FACEIT Group, Bayes Esports covers the majority of official live data for Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 esports, which brings in some of the highest revenue for sportsbooks.
Genius Sports will further enhance its offering with Bayes Esports’ data product suite, including low-latency video and live data-powered widgets. Select Genius Sports products will be available through Bayes Esports’ distribution in return.
Going forward, Genius Sports will provide sportsbooks worldwide with an end-to-end esports trading product across pre-match and in-play, powered by ultra low-latency data to guarantee sharp odds and maximum market uptime. Through this product, sportsbooks can unlock new revenues by reaching a highly engaged audience with high-octane, year-round content.
“We are thrilled to announce these new partnerships with Bayes and GRID, two leaders in their field, to create an unrivalled esports content suite for our sportsbook partners. As the new home of esports for sportsbooks, we will provide our partners with the highest-quality data and odds on the most prestigious titles in the sport,” said Matt Stephenson, Global Partnerships Director at Genius Sports.
The post Genius Sports Signs Partnerships with Bayes Esports and GRID appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
eSports
DACH CS Joins as Member of Esports Integrity Commission

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has announced that DACH CS GmbH (DACH CS), a tournament organiser seeking to revitalise competitive Counter-Strike in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, has officially joined ESIC membership.
By joining ESIC, DACH CS commits to upholding the highest standards of competitive integrity. The membership requires the league to implement ESIC’s Integrity Programme across all of its tournaments, tackling key issues such as match-fixing, cheating, and doping, fostering a culture of fair play within the region.
As an ESIC member, DACH CS will integrate ESIC’s codes of conduct, actively cooperate in investigations, and enforce ESIC’s rulings. This commitment aligns DACH CS with global best practices, ensuring that the DACH Counter-Strike esports scene operates with a proven integrity framework.
Stephen Hanna, Chief Executive Officer of ESIC, said: “DACH CS’s dedication to rebuilding and strengthening the competitive Counter-Strike scene in the DACH region makes them a valuable addition to ESIC’s growing membership. Their commitment to competitive integrity and fair competition aligns perfectly with our mission to safeguard esports. We look forward to working closely with them to support a sustainable and transparent ecosystem for players, teams, and stakeholders in the region.”
Anton Christoph, Founder & Managing Director of DACH CS, said: “At DACH CS, we’re on a mission to take the Counter-Strike Scene in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to old and new heights! We’re super excited to be joining forces with ESIC, as we’re confident that this is a vital step in keeping our community’s most prized values at the heart of our operations. By teaming up with ESIC and aligning with their globally recognised integrity standards, we’re making a promise to you, our players, teams and stakeholders, to provide a competitive environment that’s both trusted and well-structured. We are excited to work closely with ESIC to build a sustainable and respected esports landscape in the DACH region.”
The post DACH CS Joins as Member of Esports Integrity Commission appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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