Chipotle Mexican Grill announced that it is transitioning its Challenger Series into an online tournament. The Challenger series is scheduled to take place on April 6th, where participants will be able to compete in different popular gaming titles. The company will broadcast the tournament on Twitch and YouTube. The brand also recruited a number of celebrities to play in the tournament, including Marcus Smart, Steve Aoki, and Finn Wolfhard.
Chipotle also released a statement about the sports tournament, Through the Challenger Series and Chipotle Together, a string of virtual hangouts that feature celebrity appearances, exclusive content and free giveaways, Chipotle is looking to bring more joy to its fans and bridge important digital connections during this time of uncertainty."
Winners of the tournament will receive $25,000 and a free year of Chipotle, and an additional $25,000 that can be donated to COVID-19 related causes.
Image Credit: Chipotle
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Virtual Esports Tournaments
- The transition of Challenger Series to an online event presents opportunities to explore new, interactive and virtual formats of eSports tournaments
- Celebrity Endorsements in Esports
- Recruiting celebrities to participate in eSports tournaments presents disruptive innovation opportunities for marketers to engage new and diverse audiences
- Corporate Philanthropy in Esports
- Incentivizing charitable donations through eSports tournaments highlights the potential for corporate social responsibility and activism to drive engagement
Industries Being Reshaped
- Fast Food
- Fast food chains can leverage eSports tournaments to engage younger audiences and explore new revenue streams through interactive and immersive marketing campaigns
- Entertainment
- The entertainment industry can capitalize on the growing popularity of eSports and explore collaborations with gaming companies to expand their audience and reach
- Non-profit
- Non-profit organizations that support COVID-19 related causes have the opportunity to leverage eSports to raise awareness and funding for their advocacy initiatives
