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Kia | Havas Play

Unlocking the Power of Gaming: Kia's Journey into the World of Esports

  • Service

    • Gaming
    • Partnership + Sponsorship
    • Social + Influencer

  • Industry

    • Automotive

With 3.2 billion gamers globally as of 2023, gaming has not only captivated millions of enthusiasts worldwide, but also established itself as a meaningful arena for brands seeking to connect with consumers.

The gaming community is engaged, passionate and technically savvy, making it a prime demographic for brands to foster meaningful connections with fans – if they can engage with this group meaningfully and authentically. One such brand leveraging this space is Kia, a forward-thinking automotive giant that has as a strategic avenue for engagement through a focus on a specialized subset of gaming: esports.

Esports refers to all practices that allow players to compare their skills using an electronic medium, essentially video games, whatever the type of game or platform (computer, console or tablet)— the more competitive facet of the broader gaming category. This subset has grown remarkably since the first recognized esports tournament in 1972, with 646 million esports fans worldwide in 2023.

Kia’s foray into the esports sphere is exemplified by its longstanding sponsorship of the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) in Europe, a partnership now extending into North America. The League of Legends is a competitive multiplayer online game arena created in 2009, representing one of the largest esports worldwide with a global audience of 129 million in 2023.

By activating in this category, Kia demonstrates its commitment to connecting with consumers in innovative and meaningful ways, capitalizing on the growing influence of the gaming industry and esports industries on global culture and entertainment.

In today’s competitive landscape, sponsorship is insufficient to fully engage players. Recognizing this, Kia has adopted an innovative strategy, exemplified by initiatives like “Stay True to Your Lane.” Through collaborations with gaming influencers and content creators, Kia produces relatable content that resonates with players and fans, fostering authenticity and a sense of belonging within the esports community. This approach goes beyond traditional sponsorship, creating meaningful connections and driving positive brand perceptions among gamers.

Kia’s partnership with League of Legends is a bold move that aligns the brand with a dynamic and rapidly growing global audience. By engaging with esports, Kia taps into a younger, tech-savvy generation that values innovation, performance, and connectivity—qualities that Kia wants to highlight in its vehicles. This collaboration helps position Kia as a forward-thinking brand that not only embraces the future of sports but also creates deeper connections with a community passionate about technology and gaming
David Hilbert
Marketing Director, Kia Europe

Game On: Kia Turbocharges French Esports with Inspiring Moves and EV6 Magic

In France, Kia partnered with OTP, the competition’s official broadcaster in the country, to create content that provides insights that inspire esports enthusiasts to up their game and unleash their full potential. Each week, OTP casters deciphered an “inspiring move” to showcase how professional players leveraged a given situation. These highlights were featured during the Twitch pre-show and shared on OTP’s Twitter account.

Through this campaign, Kia France solidified its position as the preferred partner of LEC fans. Collaborating seamlessly with OTP, Havas Play, Havas Media, and Innocean, Kia improved player understanding while promoting sustainable mobility solutions through its forerunner vehicle of brand sustainability efforts –the EV6 model. This model is part of Kia’s vision to establish a leadership position in the future mobility industry through business expansion, encompassing EVs, mobility solutions and services, purpose-built vehicles, and more. The campaign generated significant results, including 15.2 million impressions on Twitter, 10 million total live views, 12 million video views on Twitter and Twitch, and a 5.7% average engagement rate, strengthening Kia’s presence in the esports arena, enhancing brand associations and raising awareness within the esports community.

“We have been working on esports and gaming spaces for many years, which has taught us to adhere to three rules for creating impactful messages. First, create something useful that gives fans an extra layer, something that transforms their passion and justifies the brand’s presence. Next, find the right messenger—the person within the community who has a strong voice—to legitimize the brand. Finally, timing matters. In the fragmented and crowded esports environment, delivering your message at the opportune moment can make all the difference, ensuring that the brand stays top of mind.”
Pierra Acuña
Head of Gaming and Esports, Havas Play France
La Previa

Igniting Gamers Inspiration: The Impact of 'La Previa' in Spain

In Spain, Kia partnered with Havas Play and local experts to execute “La Previa,” a series of streaming programs that shared the latest esports news to the Spanish audience, covering both the European LEC scene and the national esports landscape. This weekly format, akin to a magazine show, was supplemented with podcasts featuring some of Spain’s top League of Legends content creators – streamers, players, analysts, and casters – achieving more than 9 Million views, 144% higher than projected.

By showcasing and capitalizing on inspirational moments in Spain, La Previa helped players find and champion their pride, identity, and gameplay style in Leage of Legends, celebrating the passion shared across their entire country and community.

"We're thrilled with the success of 'La Previa by Kia,' the first LEC branded content in Spain. This live magazine on Twitch served as a gathering space for the region's esports key players, offering weekly LEC competition summaries for 4 months. The results were impressive: sustained audience retention of 2 hours per program, exceeding expectations with over 9 million impressions (144% more than anticipated) and over 1 million views on-demand. Social media played a crucial role, amplifying the campaign's message and brand role with 3 million total impressions. La Previa demonstrates the growing demand for esports content, and we're proud to have been a part of it."
Abel Delgado Garcia
Fandom & Gaming Innovation Booster in Entertainment, Havas Play Spain

Kia's Outdoor Legends: Gaming Adventure in the Dutch Forest

In the Netherlands, Kia debuted the “Kia Outdoor Legends” campaign, an immersive experience set in a secretive forest that channeled the ambiance of League of Legends, where participants had the chance to win all-in tickets for the LEC finals in Montpellier. The event was both figuratively and literally powered by the innovative KIA EV6, using its unique Vehicle to Load system to Illuminate the forest location at night and create a captivating gaming environment.

Aligned with Kia’s philosophy of inspiring movement, the initiative aimed to encourage the target audience to immerse themselves in play within a stunning natural backdrop. The strategy seamlessly integrated the brand into the gaming experience through meaningful partnerships and engaging experiences, creating a lasting impact on the esports community.

To maximize participation and reach the coveted Gen Z gaming demographic, a robust digital media campaign was executed across Twitch, Reddit, and IGN, partnering with influential streamers including Daniel Lippens and Linktijger to amplify the event’s visibility, reach and impact. Eleven teams participated in the event, culminating in an electrifying final hosted by Lippens and illuminated by the Kia EV6, where the winning team was awarded an unforgettable experience at the LEC finals in Montpellier.

With over 10 million impressions and an 83% video completion rate, Kia Outdoor Legends achieved remarkable impact. The campaign struck a chord with the young gaming audience, eliciting positive comments during the live stream. A Brand Lift Study conducted on Twitch, where the majority of budget was deployed, revealed significant improvements in key brand metrics including ad awareness, brand consideration, and brand preference among users aged 18-34.

“League of Legends fans are not an easy target to reach. Tech-savvy as they are, they often use ad blockers and are pretty skeptical towards anyone not native to their community. Therefore, we knew we had to create a relevant local activation of the LEC partnership, partnering up with credible voices from the community on the platforms they spend most of their time on. Our goal was to mobilize our fans into action mode and encourage them to join the outdoor gaming event”.
Karen Messchaert
Head of Content, Havas Play Netherlands

An Industry Trailblazer

As the gaming industry continues to cement its place in culture, brands like Kia are redefining the boundaries of marketing and engagement. By staying true to their brand ethos and innovating tailored campaigns, Kia has successfully carved a niche in the esports world, earning the admiration and loyalty of gamers across diverse markets. With initiatives like “Kia Outdoor Legends” leading the way, Kia exemplifies how brands can authentically connect with esports communities, driving meaningful interactions, and fostering lasting relationships.