London-based esports organisation Fnatic has announced a three-year deal with British online fashion and cosmetic retailer ASOS as the org’s Official Retail Fashion Partner.
The reported ‘multi-million pound partnership’ will include on-and-offline activations, as well as ASOS’s logo placement on the front of Fnatic’s jerseys. This will include the organisation’s League of Legends World Championship jersey, which is scheduled to debut next week.
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Fnatic CEO, Sam Mathews, said: “There are no other subcultures in the world that have influenced us more than gaming and fashion. Self-expression, both online and offline, has become a major point of convergence between both audiences.
“Through this partnership with ASOS, we will empower all gamers to find their unique voice and style, inside and outside of the game. We couldn’t be more excited to be driving this change forward together with ASOS.”
The deal marks the first esports brand partnership for ASOS. The agreement promises multiple content series featuring Fnatic athletes and creators in upcoming ASOS campaigns and Fnatic produced content.
According to the press release, the two brands will also work together on a ‘bespoke third alternative kit’ as well as ‘digital kits, branded in-game experiences and digital products’. Among these will be ‘VR experiences and AR filters’.
Robert Birge, Chief Growth Officer, ASOS, commented: “Gaming and fashion are both passions for young adults and as esports continue to boom, we’re incredibly excited about this partnership. GenZ-ers increasingly express their style in both the physical and digital worlds and this is something we’re excited to fuel.
“We’re also looking forward to seeing some of the world’s greatest esports athletes wear our name on their Fnatic jerseys at Worlds in Iceland.”
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Earlier this year, ASOS acquired British multinational brands Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, and HIIT from the now shuttered Arcadia Group for £330m as reported by the Guardian.
In April, Fnatic entered a partnership with esports and entertainment agency SPORTFIVE, to assist in the organisation’s search for a main, front-of-jersey global sponsor, after its contract with mobile phone manufacturer OnePlus expired.
Fnatic’s current jersey partnerships include BMW, Crypto.com, Jack Links, and AMD.
Esports Insider says: Partnering with the fast fashion online retail giant will no doubt offer expanded exposure for the esports organisation and ASOS’s vision for blending digital and physical worlds aligns well with esports’ mixed realities. This partnership promises to push the envelope of what partnerships can entail for major brands in esports.