Why we’ve launched We Are Social Gaming

As you may have seen in Adweek, we’ve just launched We Are Social Gaming. Here, our Co-Founder and Group CEO, Nathan Mcdonald, introduces the new offering.

Over the last few years, there’s been a noticeable change in the work we do at We Are Social. 

In 2019, we hijacked Fortnite for WWF’s #NoBuildChallenge, where participants had to play the game without exploiting any natural resources. In 2020, we used Twitch’s Raids feature to spread brand love for UberEats. Later that year, we took Global Pride onto Animal Crossing to help the LGBTQ+ community worldwide connect while in lockdown. 

These are just a few examples of how gaming has evolved to become part of our core offering at We Are Social. This shift has happened naturally; for us, gaming sits within social, not apart from it. 

Through this journey, we’ve seen that gaming offers endless creative possibilities – it’s the new cultural frontier for brands. That’s why, today, we’ve launched We Are Social Gaming, a new offering designed to help brands craft meaningful and effective experiences in gaming and esports environments. 

We Are Social Gaming is not a division. In the current climate it’s easy to see why a gaming division sounds like a good strategy – and indeed, other agencies have taken this approach. But we don’t see gaming as something that should sit in silo from social. Our 950-strong global team are already skilled in understanding online communities and culture, and they know how to create work that enhances people’s digital experiences. This is just as relevant for Fortnite and Twitch as it is for Facebook or TikTok. 

Instead, our growing global gaming squad, currently 20+ of our most skilled gaming and esports experts, will work across our entire client portfolio to identify gaming opportunities for brands in all sectors and industries. Our squad are not only highly experienced and engaged in the gaming and esports space, they are first class researchers, strategists, creatives and technologists. They will work with our entire team to help clients navigate the complex and fragmented gaming landscape. Our social heritage, and understanding of the intricacies and nuances of online culture, puts us in a powerful position to do this. 

The foundations are already in place. We have extensive experience working with brands in the gaming and esports space, and our current clients include Activision, Riot Games, Sony, Twitch, G2 and Fnatic. We’ve worked with non-gaming brands such as Vodafone and Renault, and of course WWF, UberEats and Global Pride on gaming-focused campaigns over the last few years. Our gaming proposition is led by a diverse group of our board members spanning multiple markets: global chief strategy officer Mobbie Nazir, Singapore CEO Christina Chong, Regional Lead for the EU area Stefano Maggi and Australia CEO Suzie Shaw. 

Of course, the backdrop to this is that gaming has never been more relevant for brands. According to our Digital 2021 report, 85 percent of the world’s internet users play games. One in three gamers around the world say that they play video games on a daily basis and 84 percent play video games at least once per week. Gaming levels are close to 90% for both male and female internet users aged 16-34. 

And gaming platforms are evolving to offer more than just gameplay. High profile examples include US congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez taking to Twitch to play Among Us and encouraging viewers to vote. Rapper Travis Scott performed a concert inside of the battle royale game Fortnite. Earlier this year the video game industry received its first Oscar recognition for Colette, a film featured in the Oculus VR game Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond. Much like social, they’re now a place to seek out entertainment, and to connect with others.

Today, our gaming offering sits alongside our existing social capabilities. In the near future, they will be one and the same. Our ambition is for our entire global team to be as passionate and skilled in gaming as they are in social, helping all our clients, from any sector, make an impact in this fast-moving and highly engaged space. Today’s launch is a significant step on that journey. 

To find out how We Are Social Gaming could work with your brand, contact us here. 

For more gaming insights, check out our recent Game On webinars: Live Streaming and Esports