BMW Esports, the esports division of german automotive company BMW, has unveiled ‘Heroes Of Rivalry’, a manga series featuring its United in Rivalry team partners.
BMW Esports’ United in Rivalry partners include Cloud 9, FNATIC, FunPlus Phoenix, G2 Esports and T1. However, the announcement also revealed that European organisation OG Esports has been announced as its latest addition.
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OG Esports, well known for its time in Dota 2, is BMW’s first United in Rivalry partner that isn’t a League of Legends-focused organisation.
JMR Luna, CEO of OG Esports, commented: “I grew up with a poster of a BMW motorcycle on my wall… Many years later… being able to work with them, it’s a dream come true,”
“BMW is a wonderful brand and company, and they entered Esports partnering with five of the biggest esports organisations in the world and it is an honour for us to be part of this prestigious group now. Once again thank you to our fans for continuing to believe and support us, and OG and BMW will now work hard to bring many more incredible moments to you all.”
The initiative will feature all teams together in a manga series illustrated by Japanese artist Acky Bright, with the concept and storyline coming from German agency Jung von Matt.
The manga will display the organisation’s professional players in an Isekai scenario, which is a genre of manga where real-world characters are dragged into a fantasy world. The preface is that the players, generally facing each other as rivals in matches, will be ‘United in Rivalry’ to achieve their goal.
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“The superheroes in our manga not only develop great power in their adventure, but they also inspire the imagination of every single person,” added Stefan Ponikva, Vice President Brand Experience BMW. “There is something magical about manga; it touches peoples’ hearts. That is the crux of the matter. Manga follows our goal of wrapping brand messages in emotions – with great finesse for images, language and symbols – and entertaining people. In pop culture like the esports scene, this is far more effective than another display ad.
“Through manga, we are communicating on the same wavelength with a target group that does not actually respond positively to advertising, and we are there, where they are – on their mobile devices.”
United in Rivalry was an initiative set up by BMW in April 2020 to promote esports and gaming culture. The project saw BMW announce partnerships with five esports organisations.
Esports Insider says: BMW’s idea of mixing manga with Esports it’s an unexpected but nice approach. Manga and esports have a lot of crossover appeal, even if the fans themselves don’t consume it. Plus, having a well-known artist behind the project showcases the commitment of BMW Esports in delivering a top tier experience for fans.
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