American restaurant chain Chipotle has partnered with tournament organisers ESL and DreamHack.
The deal will see Chipotle act as a partner for several upcoming events and launch its very own amateur esports series called the Chipotle Challenger Series.
The Chipotle Challenger Series will be based on-site at DreamHack Dallas and DreamHack Atlanta, allowing attendees of the events to compete for a custom trophy, a card that grants them a year of free Chipotle, and merchandise.
As well as hosting a new competition series, Chipotle will act as the official partner of DreamHack Masters Dallas and the presenting partner of DreamHack Open Atlanta. The Mexican grill chain will also be involved with IEM Chicago in an unspecified capacity.
Michael Van Driel, Chief Product Officer at DreamHack commented in a release: “Since launching our first North American event in 2016, DreamHack has been able to continue to grow and capture a larger audience both online and on-site in the United States. Having a partner like Chipotle on board to support what we are already doing while adding more content to the event is tremendously exciting for us. DreamHack Dallas will be the biggest North American event we have hosted to date, and isthe perfect location to kick off this partnership.”
Talent management and marketing agency REV/XP was tapped by Chipotle to facilitate the partnerships with both ESL and DreamHack – it’s in control of “sponsorship strategy, creative design and experiential production.”
Paul Brewer, SVP, Brand Partnerships at ESL added: “Chipotle’s integration is a natural fit, and we would like to officially welcome them to the ESL family. The Chipotle Challenger Series is exemplary of how a brand can activate in a smart and creative way that allows fans to join the action.”
Chipotle sponsored Team SoloMid’s Fortnite team in June last year, creating co-branded content. A year prior, it was announced as a sponsor of North American organisation OpTic Gaming – though this deal no longer stands.
Esports Insider says: It’s good to see Chipotle return with perhaps its biggest involvement in esports to date. ESL and DreamHack host popular events on a regular basis so activating these partnerships in numerous ways during said events seems like it could be an effective method of advertising.
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