"Catch the MZ Generation"... Auto Industry Deeply Engaged in e-Sports Marketing

[Asia Economy Reporter Su-yeon Woo] Recently, the automotive industry is increasing its touchpoints with the 'MZ Generation (a collective term for Millennials born in the early 1980s to mid-1990s and Generation Z born in the mid-1990s to early 2000s)' through e-sports marketing. They are engaging in various marketing activities linked to e-sports, such as signing official sponsorships for famous online game tournaments, sponsoring participating teams, and unveiling virtual racing cars for racing games.

According to the industry on the 26th, Kia Motors signed a naming sponsorship agreement with 'DAMWON Gaming,' the world's No. 1 e-sports team for the online game 'League of Legends (hereafter LOL),' on the 22nd. DAMWON Gaming is the reigning world champion team of this year's LOL, which is popular worldwide, and is considered a strong contender for next year's championship.

LOL is one of the most popular online games globally, enjoyed by over 100 million users every month. Fourteen leagues operate successfully every year, with the domestic and European leagues being the largest in scale.

Kia Motors had already extended its partnership contract with the LOL European League last year and continued its sponsorship this year. Kia's eco-friendly sports utility vehicle (SUV), the Niro, appeared in the 2020 LOL opening video and gained popularity. Additionally, the best players and teams were selected under the titles Kia Player of the Game, Kia Split MVP, and Kia Team of the Season.

Not only Kia Motors but Mercedes-Benz was also selected as the official sponsor of the LOL All-Star event held from the 18th to the 20th of this month. Since September, Mercedes-Benz has been sponsoring global LOL matches such as the Mid-Season Invitational and the All-Star event.

Mercedes-Benz participated as a presenting partner in this tournament where the four major leagues compete, introducing the winning team in a dedicated broadcast segment after the matches. During the event, Mercedes-Benz's logo and the pure electric vehicle EQC were exposed through social media, and promotional videos were aired. In the finals, digital promotions were conducted, including providing a 'luxury box' engraved with the Mercedes-Benz brand through viewer quizzes.

Jaguar Virtual Pure Electric Racing Car Vision Gran Turismo SV

Some companies are strengthening marketing through online racing games tailored to the characteristics of their automotive brands. Recently, Jaguar unveiled the virtual pure electric racing car 'Vision Gran Turismo SV.' The Jaguar Vision GT SV is an online racing car developed for the car racing game Gran Turismo.

This vehicle features a streamlined lightweight composite body equipped with four electric motors, delivering 1,903 horsepower and an instantaneous torque of 3,360 Nm. It can accelerate from a standstill to approximately 97 km/h in just 1.65 seconds and reach a top speed of 410 km/h.

A Jaguar official said, "Compared to the previous model, power and torque have been improved, and a distinctive, presence-filled sound has also been implemented. We expect it to offer the fun of virtual racing and the joy of driving to drivers who want to experience the thrill of racing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.