While nonprofits were slow to get on the Twitch streaming wave, corporate brands were quicker to hitch a ride on the hype train. They have spent years driving their way into this community to reach new audiences and engage them in sometimes unexpected ways.
Let's take a look at some of the brands that showcased themselves at TwitchCon.
Doritos: The ubiquitous yellow triangle chip snack has had a presence in Fortnite for a few years and they've capitalized on this by utilizing an increasingly popular form of marketing: the branded Fortnite experience. This is where brands utilize Fortnite Creative Mode to build a customized map with interactive points of interest to keep players engaged and learn more about their brand. Doritos and Alliance Studios created Triangle Island last year (Island Code 4370-4088-0380) and filled it with fun game modes like the Crash Course Deathrun (survive 10 levels of increasingly difficult platform running) and ChiliWars (see video below).
The newest addition to Triangle Island is the Doritos Mart, where players compete in a Prop Hunt style game (think hide-and-seek with Fortnite hijinks).
Doritos then brought it to life by bringing in a real Doritos Mart complete with shelves full of Doritos (of course) as well as PCs for players to try out the map. For more info on Doritos' Triangle Island, visit them here: https://www.doritos.gg/
Honda:
The auto manufacturer showcased their new all electric Prologue model at TwitchCon with the help of meet & greets with esports organization Team Liquid and by also utilizing a Fortnite Creative experience: The Hondaverse Prologue map.
The car looked sleek, and as part of a more environmentally cautious generation, I appreciated the all-electric car being front-and-center. The map itself was fun, with the right amount of difficulty to keep me engaged. Top score won a Honda Motocompacto electric scooter (spoiler alert: I didn't win)
Ford: Ford collaborated with FullSquadGaming to convert a Ford Transit Trail into a custom gaming/podcasting van, which was parked on the show floor. I just wonder how much electricity you need to power all of that. Will the car battery be enough? Auxiliary power supplies? I wonder if Ford will have one of these available to rent for a roadtrip.
State Farm: Yes, State Farm Insurance! I don't actually know the origin of this partnership, but I do remember State Farm sponsoring DrLupo several years ago, and it seems they've grown a lot in the space figuratively and literally! Their activation at TwitchCon was one of the largest in terms of floor space:
This booth was quite popular. So much so that I didn't get a chance to even play the game that was inside! So unfortunately, no chance to get a selfie with Jake From State Farm.
It's fascinating to see what brands and Twitch have come up with and I think nonprofits can take some notes on these activations as well! Looking forward to next year's event!