This week, I spent two days in a small, dark room discussing the best gaming marketing cases from around the globe as a member of the Entertainment Lions for Gaming jury. The fact that this category was only added to Cannes Lions in 2023 shows how, despite the size of the industry, brands have not found their way to gaming yet.
The jury’s mission was to award the past year's most innovative and impactful creative work that connects people to brands through gameplay.
Here are my key takeaways from the experience of analyzing hundreds of cases, from gaming-related films to activations happening inside games and innovations solving gamers’ problems.
Gaming is huge, but brands are still catching up
First things first: gaming is massive.
According to the latest estimates, there are about 3.32 billion active video gamers worldwide, and 2,7 billion people playing mobile games.
The industry is bursting with potential, but surprisingly, many brands haven't yet tapped into the opportunities gaming could offer through collaborations, partnerships, or using games as campaign platforms.
Award-winning cases bring gaming skills to life
We reviewed some stellar cases that managed to bridge the gap between gaming and real-world applications, showing how the skills and assets acquired through gaming can be valuable in real life.
Our Grand Prix winner, "Everyday Tactician," was a fantastic example of this. In a campaign for Xbox, English professional football club Bromley FC announced they would hire a tactician who has developed their skills through playing the Football Manager game.
They genuinely hired the top candidate, leading to a record-breaking year. It demonstrated how strategic skills honed in playing a game could be applied to real-life football teams. The gamers in our jury especially appreciated how, through this campaign, enthusiastic gamers can show a skeptical parent or spouse that time spent on games doesn’t go to waste –– it can change their whole career.
Another standout was "Gamer Loan," where the Ecuadorian Banco del Pacifico started accepting gaming assets, like valuable skins, as collateral for loans. This groundbreaking idea aimed to help younger gamers secure loans, turning their digital assets into tangible financial support. It was a clever way to merge the virtual and physical economies, providing real-world value to gaming investments.
Authenticity and audience fit are crucial
One of the key criteria in our judging was whether the match between the brand and the game was right.
Pairing games with brands and influencers that feel relevant and interesting for gamers is essential for telling a compelling story. Anything that doesn't feel authentic to the community simply won’t fly. The perfect crossover happens when both the brand and the game reach new audiences with shared interests, creating a win-win situation.
On the flip side, if a campaign tries to be too clever or overthinks the approach, gamers will sense the inauthenticity, and there will be backlash.
Keeping it real is key.
Humor wins hearts
Humor is another element that resonates deeply with the gaming community.
Take Heineken’s “Gaming Fridge,” for example—a gaming PC and a beer fridge in one device, solving two problems simultaneously.
Or Doritos’ algorithm that mutes the crunching noises when you’re snacking while streaming.
These campaigns were not only innovative but also funny, making them instant hits with gamers. Gaming is fun and entertaining, and the community appreciates campaigns that are, too.
Games: the mainstream secret
Overall, games are an undiscovered mainstream platform inviting brands to do fun, interesting things together.
Since the community is massive and open to entertainment by brands inside the gaming platform, the potential for creative, engaging marketing within the gaming world is immense.
However, succeeding in gaming marketing requires just the right mix of expertise. When consumer understanding, brand expertise, technological knowledge, and industry know-how converge, both the brand and the game benefit.
It's time for more brands to dive in and explore. The gaming community is ready and waiting for the next big thing.
Katariina Harteela is Executive Creative Director and the co-lead of Reaktor’s creative hub. With a trail of Cannes Lions under her own belt, she crafts impactful brand action with empathy at the core, leaving an indelible mark on the world of creativity – and in the ways agencies operate.
