The Esports World Cup (EWC) is one of the biggest global esports event in the world. With competitions running in 24 different games, a prize pool of $75 million and record breaking viewership numbers, it has become a defining event of the esports industry in just a few short years.
Created to position the EWC as the premier esports property, The Founding Partners campaign honours the companies that backed the vision from the beginning. Rather than relying on a traditional sponsorship announcement, the campaign positioned stc, Qiddiya, Jameel Motorsport and Sony as brands helping shape both the foundations and future of the EWC.
“The goal was to integrate these partners into every aspect of the Esports World Cup, showing fans that without these brands, the event simply would not be taking place,” says François Desir, Director, Sponsorships and Advertising, The Esports Foundation.
The campaign spanned digital, broadcast and physical environments. At its centre was a cinematic hero film, localised in English, Arabic and Chinese, which acted as the unifying narrative across every touchpoint.
Delivered through an integrated approach, the campaign combined creative development, production, digital distribution, media planning and on-site activation. The creative was developed in partnership with Stockholm-based NMBRS Studio.
Gaming culture over traditional advertising
Desir says, “The campaign was developed with an understanding of how gaming audiences engage with content. This is a global, digitally native audience that does not respond well to advertising, but to experiences and stories that feel authentic to them and to the platforms they interact with every day.”
He adds, “Players socialise, compete, and consume entertainment through gaming, and the brands that succeed in reaching that audience are the ones that feel genuine and natural when they appear within that environment.”
The Founding Partners campaign reflected this by focusing on integration of brands within the event, and storytelling, by highlighting the role that the Founding Partners had in making the EWC what it is and creating iconic characters for each of the brands.
The rollout included a three-phase rollout across social platforms, beginning with teaser content that introduced each partner individually, followed by the full film launch, and then short-form adaptations for wider distribution. Launched during the EWC peak summer season, and was designed to reach three distinct audiences: global esports fans watching online, regional audiences engaging through broadcast and media, and those in Riyadh, both locals and travellers, experiencing the event on-site.
Broadcast integration extended the campaign into regional media through dedicated programming and dedicated partner ads, while physical activations across Riyadh – including large-scale screen takeovers and arena placements – ensured visibility beyond digital channels.
Extending The Founding Partners campaign beyond the screen
On-site, the campaign was embedded directly into the event experience through QR-enabled posters, fan merchandise and branded environments. Cosplayers portraying the created characters roamed the event, and handed out freebies such as stickers.
The campaign was amplified through the broader EWC ecosystem, including creators, co-streamers, and on-site personalities. As these individuals engaged with the event and its environments, they extended the reach of the campaign organically through their own platforms, ensuring that the content was distributed in ways that felt native to gaming culture.
The hero video also featured three major esports players, whose likeness was integrated into the video using cutting edge technology to make sure it was clear to fans who they were.
“Our partners also took things to the next level, further using the assets created for the campaign in their own activities. STC have continued to use their character, Shehanah, through multiple different campaigns, and brought cosplayers of the character to events. While the main campaign may have come to a close, the legacy it has created still lives on through our partners and their activations,” says Desir.
Success was measured through a combination of reach, engagement and content performance. The campaign generated more than 168 million impressions, reached over 50 million users, and delivered more than 116 million video views, alongside sustained engagement across platforms.
These metrics were supported by strong video completion rates, traffic driven to the hero film through QR integrations, and amplification across broadcast and earned media. Together, they reflect both the scale of the campaign and the depth of audience interaction, reinforcing the role of the Founding Partners within the Esports World Cup platform.
