Esports and fashion? A match made in marketing heaven

When luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton announced in September it would be partnering with Riot Games’ League of Legends World Championship to design in-game outfits and a trophy carrying case, many people were left scratching their heads. On the surface, high fashion and video games seem an unlikely pairing. But as esports continues to shift from subculture to mainstream, I predict this is only the beginning of fashion-focused sponsorship deals in the esports world.

As marketers better understand the esports audience and their lifestyle, more brand collaborations not directly tied to the playing or production of esports are sure to follow suit. In fact, The Esports Observer reported that in the first quarter of 2019, there were 76 non-endemic sponsorship deals in esports (an increase of 145% from the previous quarter), including fashion brands like Champion, Puma, and New Era.