There are some pretty cool and unique esports partnerships out there, as well as some flashy deals between sponsors and teams. Sportswear brands, car manufacturers, smartphone & peripheral makers are to be expected for most organizations. However, not all of the sponsorship deals we see are quite so extravagant though – in fact, some partnerships have left us scratching our heads a little.
The most recent such partnership was just signed in Germany and its absolutely wacky and wondeful. German esports org SK Gaming partnered with the German supermarket-chain Lidl and it seems both brands are enjoying their initial run together.
© Lidl / SK Gaming
According to the partnership agreement, Lidl will serve as SK Gaming’s fresh food partner, and will supply two gaming facilities in Berlin and Cologne with fresh food according to their nutrition plans. LIDL also “produced” a expert in fresh food to actuate the deal.
Initial reactions on social media, especially Twitter, were rather funny – people had a good chuckle about the deal. It’s safe to say, fans were a little surprised by the deal, but overall seem to approve.
Of course, eating healthy is an important aspect of any athlete’s life, be it esports or football, so this deal is definitely a positive mark on SK Gaming’s record, but it’s nevertheless a bit unusual. The financial details of the deal weren’t revealed, so sums and exact details aren’t known – what we DO know is that the two organisations went and created a commercial based on this deal.
That commercial will be aired on several local and national German TV stations, including sports-channel Sport1.
https://youtu.be/KZRoMR3ULwQ
Surprisingly enough, this isn’t even the first time SK Gaming is signing a sponsorship deal with a supermarket chain – nor is Lidl the first supermarket to do so. In March 2020, supermarket giant REWE partnered with the esports division of the FC Cologne football club – who happens to own 25% of SK Gaming. Another German supermarket-chain that has made a similar deal with an esports organisation is Edeka – it partnered with the esports academy of the Berlin Bundesliga soccer club Hertha BSC in 2019.
Lidl themselves are also partnered with the national German handball team until 2022 – and they are active on TikTok, even. It’s pretty clear the company is trying to focus on and engage with younger audiences – and part of that is actively entering the esports market.
Soon, you’ll be spotting the Lidl Logo on the 2021 jerseys of the SK Gaming team – and other, as of yet unnamed joint activities and events have also been announced. As for SK’s other partners – they are actively partnering with healthcare and healthy lifestyle brands such as URSAPHARM Arzneimittel, HYLO, an eye-care brand, and Body Kitchen, a company that creates cookbooks for teenagers and young adults. In a somewhat more stereotypically German move, they are also partnered with the beer brewery Krombacher!
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