Chart striker DJ Marshmello gave his first in-game concert on Fortnite – a virtual appearance in the world of the squeaky shooter game – and around 10 million were watching alongside my sons.
And these are just the sales of smartphone users. The Fortnite company Epic Games is now valued at $ 15 billion, which would easily be enough for a DAX entry. By comparison, that’s how high the Deutsche Bank is traded.
As a father, I look with horror at the time-eater Fortnite. The first psychologists warn of the danger of addiction and already offer therapy camps.
The marketer in me is impressed by how the online game has quickly become a media phenomenon and what advertisers can learn from Fortnite and its incredible success – even though the game is basically ad-free.
Success mix of variety and scarcity
Why is the game so successful? Fortnite Battle Royal is free in itself. But you can spend a lot of money on better features of your character through in-app purchases. Individuality also counts in the virtual world. And that’s what the creators of the game pay well for: For eight euros, for example, the user can buy trendy dance moves for his characters.
But how well the character fights, is only due to the skill of the player. Just that the combat performance is not commercially available at Fortnite cemented its credibility with the young gamers.
High-speed variety and artificial scarcity are two more rules of Fortnite. So players are kept up with weekly updates and motivated again and again to spontaneous purchases: new covers, so-called skins, are only available for a few days.
Advertising is prohibited on Fortnite
Since Fortnite cannot be advertised, imagination is needed. It’s worth taking a look at Fortnite’s actions with brands and celebrities. Marvel partnered with Epic Games last year to promote the feature film Avengers: Infinity War.
Players were able to buy the “Iron Man” outfit for their avatar, the villainous figure of “Thanos” appeared like a threatening opponent – the promotion did not take place as a disturber or breaker, but was integrated into the game.
The pop star Drake, an avowed fan of the game, took advantage of it in 2018 by battling with the world’s most famous Fortnite gamer named “Ninja” and set the Twitch streaming platform a new attendance record.
If you do not know Twitch, gamers will broadcast their video games live there. And hundreds of thousands are watching. Former national footballer Mesut Özil is gambling and broadcasting there as well. Incidentally, Twitch is heavily involved in sponsoring the major gamer events, as have an energy drink and snack brands, telcos and, more recently, car makers.
In the smart brand integration and promotions of VIPs with player credibility so the effect is mutually reinforced and multiplied the attention, without the authenticity in the eyes of the target group suffers – a promotional win-win.
Said “Ninja” is one of the first brand ambassadors from the Fortnite universe and cooperates with a Korean smartphone manufacturer. Launching the latest device generation with particularly long battery life – suitable for mobile gaming – the top player showed his fans how he unwrapped the devices, installed the game and tried a “skin” that was offered exclusively to buyers of the latest models.
The marketing category for this mega-deal has yet to be found, so I’ll try: sponsored-unboxing-by-influencer meets branded-virtual-goods-in-game-advertising.
Finally arrived in the traditional sky of marketing, “Ninja” now also appears in commercials for the device manufacturer and integrates Fortnite by performing one of the typical dances or inviting a young gamer in the “national team”. So classic advertising as usual – and accordingly expensive, after all, the man alone earned over his twitch streams half a million dollars. In the month.
PS From parents to parents: Disable the function of in-app purchases on your kids’ smartphones. Can be very expensive otherwise. I speak from experience.
The author is a managing partner at the advertising agency Antonie and BILANZ columnist.
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