Kia Motors
Corporation sponsors the League of Legends European Championship Summer Finals
2019 in Athens for the first time, showcasing its popular vehicles and
unveiling commercials designed to win the hearts of millions of Europe’s
electronic sports fans.
A statement from Kia Media Team, made available to OpenLife
states that as an official partner of the League of Legends European
Championship (LEC) at the Olympic Athletic Center of Athens from Sept. 7-8, Kia
Motors displays the All-New Kia Ceed and New Sportage models, and airs video
commercials “Driving Your Game — Kia-LEC” and “The Perfect Intro.”
“Through our collaborative marketing with LEC, which enjoys
the most innovative competition among different leagues around the world, Kia
Motors has been able to approach the younger generations and get close to them
naturally,” said Artur Martins, the Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
at Kia Motors. “Kia Motors expresses its deep appreciation to the tournament
organizer and video game developer Riot Games for its steady support throughout
2019. We hope to continue our excellent partnership.”
The two commercials, which are available on YouTube, are
aired from the stadium’s main screen. The Driving Your Game commercial features
the Kia Stinger, All-New e-Niro, New Sportage, All-New Kia Ceed and Kia Stonic
models; and The Perfect Intro commercial — created as an official
season-ending film for the LEC — features the Kia Stinger, and is distributed
on various social media channels.
The Ceed and Sportage models — both emblazoned with official
LEC graphics — are displayed beside the broadcasting booth.
The number of esports fans worldwide is estimated to reach
422 million people in 2019 from 281 million in 2016, and expected to top 600
million by 2023. Although organized online and offline competitions have long
been part of the video game industry, they were not significant until live
streaming became a dominant force around the world. By the 2010s, eports has
become a major driver of the industry, with many game developers actively
designing games tailored to the professional esports sector.
“We are privileged to have Kia Motors choose the LEC for its
first partnership in esports, and humbled by Kia’s support in activating our
partnership,” said Alban Dechelotte, the Head of Business Development at Riot
Games Europe. “By offering various kinds of financial, programmic and marketing
support, Kia Motors has enabled the creation of some of the most engaging
contents this year. The overwhelmingly positive reception from players speaks
volumes about the quality of our partnership, and we look forward to the next
chapter of our shared story.”
This year’s tournament marks Kia’s first sponsorship of the
League of Legends European Championship, where Europe’s finest teams lock horns
to lift the LEC trophy and secure their regional spot at Worlds 2019. The
finals also hosts the second LEC Fan Festival, where visitors can take part in
a variety of exciting activities, such as cosplay and meetings with their
favorite pros.
At the LEC, Kia Motors also operates a games zone, where fans
can play a digital game featuring the Sportage and Ceed models, and a photo
zone where they can take photos and win lottery prizes. Some 10,000 people
participated in the two-day finals as audiences, and 600 thousand people
watched the competition from around the world.
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