NOTE: This is a repost of the Gaming Marketing Institute’s original post.
Gaming influencer marketing comes in many different flavors. Part two of this series explored strategies involving gaming professionals.
The third, and final, part explains how influencer marketing can leverage gaming celebrities.
If you’re new to gaming, please complete the Gaming Marketing Dictionary. Since that content walks you through over 50 terms used below.
What is a gaming celebrity?
A gaming celebrity is a person, real or virtual, who is well-known and popular in the gaming community. Gaming celebrities are defined by widespread recognition across the entire worldwide gaming community.
Whereas other types of influencers are relevant within certain game communities. Gaming celebrities cross over into mainstream popularity.
Plus, as we will show, fictional personalities are also gaming celebrities. Towards that end, the following three marketing strategies tap into this category.
Adidas’ Rivalry Nadeshot
Nadeshot, born Matthew Haag, is a prominent figure in the gaming community. He is regarded as a legendary professional gamer – having won a Major League Gaming (MLG) X Games gold medal in 2014, while also winning “Best Esports Player” at that year’s edition of The Game Awards.
Today, Nadeshot, having retired from competitive gaming, creates content on his Twitch and YouTube channels followed by millions.
He is also active in several gaming-related business ventures. For instance, he is founder and CEO of 100 Thieves – a gaming lifestyle brand that counts Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert as an investor.
Nadeshot’s storied career in gaming and esports has transformed him from a recognizable pro gamer within the Call of Duty community into a gaming celebrity.
So, when Adidas Originals partnered with 100 Thieves to launch their first collaborative collection in May 2024.
The collection included a sneaker known as the Rivalry Nadeshot. Where the official release described the shoe design’s
“Nadeshot logos on the right heel mustache and tongues, the daring look is the 100 Thieves founder’s first ever collaborative sneaker.”
In other words, adidas chose Nadeshot to headline a sneaker, even though the 100 Thieves organization employs over 35 esports players and creators. That strategic choice speaks to the influence of his celebrity among adidas’ target gaming audiences.
HyperX and Pokimane
Imane Anys, known professionally as Pokimane, is a Canadian and Moroccan gaming creator and internet personality.
She is best known for her live streams on Twitch, where she broadcasts video game content. She is currently the most-followed female streamer on the platform.
Pokimane has also crossed over as a mainstream internet celebrity with more than 35 million followers across social media, a spot on Forbes’ 2021 30 Under 30 list, as well as an appearance in Ryan Reynold’s 2021 comedy blockbuster “Free Guy.”
However, Pokimane’s celebrity status is more than just a factor of a large, dedicated fan base. She is also an aspirational role model within the gaming community.
For example, a August 2024 Teen Vogue article described Pokimane as
“inadvertently selling a kind of ‘American Dream’ to the creators who look up to her…that with the right amount of work and perseverance, any streamer can achieve her level of success.”
As a result, she has an impressive CV of brand partners including Postmates, CashApp, and HyperX.
The latter, a gaming hardware company, re-signed Pokimane as a brand ambassador in 2021. The sponsorship covered Pokimane’s use of HyperX gaming headsets, keyboards, mice, and mouse pads exclusively in her streaming content.
Speaking on the relationship, Khoi Nguyen, HyperX’s influencer marketing manager at the time, said
“As a strong supporter of diversity in gaming and a long-standing sponsor of Pokimane, we believe it’s important to elevate the women in this industry.”
Swarovski’s Halo collection
Halo is a military science fiction media franchise, launched in 2001 with the release of a first-person shooter video game and a tie-in novel. The Halo video game series, originally developed and created by Bungie and currently managed by Xbox Game Studios Publishing, has sold an estimated 81 million copies since then.
So, in 2021, to celebrate the game’s 20th anniversary and the launch of Halo Infinite, Xbox and Swarovski released two limited-edition collectible crystal figurines.
The collectibles were modeled after the iconic Mjolnir helmet and the Energy Sword – both of which belong to Master Chief Petty Officer John-117.
Colloquially known as Master Chief, he is the protagonist of the Halo video game series. The series’ masterful storytelling has transformed Master Chief into a recognizable figure in popular culture.
Where he has come to embody the human qualities of courage, sacrifice, and unwavering resolve.
So, Swarovski tapped into Master Chief’s celebrity status by fashioning collectibles after his iconic armor, and making 117 collectibles in total, in celebration of his Spartan number.
The collection, executed by tripleclix, proved highly effective – winning a 2022 REGGIE Award in the esports and gaming category.
Master Chief’s leading role in Swarovski’s collection demonstrates that influencer marketing strategies can, in fact, tap into playable characters. Since those characters are just as recognizable and impactful among target gaming audiences – despite being fictional.
Recap
- Some influencers are gaming celebrities
- Gaming celebrities serve as aspirational figures (icons)
- Mainstream popularity is a defining trait for gaming celebrity status
- Fictional (playable) characters can be influencers and celebrities
- Gaming celebrities can inspire actions throughout the marketing funnel
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