Leveling Up a Gaming Campaign

CHALLENGE:

The brand partnership landscape in gaming is saturated. How can Chipotle find white space, innovate and deepen brand love, particularly heading into year 2 of their Fighting Game Community (FGC) focused campaign?

SOLUTION

• Show up as an insider and add value, returning as title sponsor of FGC’s flagship event Evo and partnering with fighting game of the year TEKKEN 8 to prove our commitment to the community
• Find new ways in, from helping top gaming org Disguised Esports sign 1st ever FGC player and supporting creator clashes like Chipotle super fan Sajam’s “Sajam Slam” events
• Energize the community with Chipotle’s Evo announcement video featuring superstar creators that went viral with over 1M organic impressions during the saturated Super Bowl week
• Deliver value by giving Chipotle customers TEKKEN 8 exclusives, including in-game currency, authentic brand-centric cosmetics, and the opportunity to compete in 1st ever brand challenges
• Level up Chipotle Evo presence, hosting meet & greets with community stars, TEKKEN’s creators, a community art wall, hourly tournaments for unique giveaways, and launching the Chipotle Extra Match segment to give fans more time enjoying Evo competition and less time watching ads

RESULTS

From Chipotle’s ads getting cheered between championship matches to winning Best Marketing Campaign as voted on by the community, we forged a unique bond with the community that drove brand love and sales.

But don’t just take our word for it: “Chipotle’s continued success in the FGC space reflects how well the brand understands and genuinely invests in this unique gaming community. Our data shows the brand’s TEKKEN 8-focused activations in 2024 not only built upon an already strong foundation, but drove meaningful impact across awareness, consideration, and conversion metrics with younger esports fans.” — Nicole Pike, Global Head of Sport and Gaming, YouGov

Source: YouGov Research, April 2025