Asos gets into gaming with 3-year Fnatic deal
Online retailer Asos has become the latest fashion brand to dip its toes in gaming by signing a multi-million-dollar deal with esports firm Fnatic.
Asos has signed a three-year deal with esports firm Fnatic
The three-year partnership will see the brands co-develop online and offline activations and create branded in-game experiences and digital content.
As part of the deal, Asos logos will appear on all kits featured on Fnatic, spanning over 30 sports and 200 championships.
The Asos kits will be ready for the forthcoming Legends World Championships, which typically nets over 100 million viewers.
“Self-expression, both online and offline, has become a major point of convergence between both the fashion and gaming audiences,” said Fnatic chief executive Sam Matthews.
The deal is the latest in a string of tie-ups between fashion brands and gaming, with the likes of Balenciaga, Gucci, Vans, Stella McCartney and Burberry all expanding their reach into the space.
Along with similar partnerships including Adidas’s kit deal with G2 Esports, fashion companies have been experimenting in social gaming, enabling users to design branded apparel and select outfit options in story games.
Asos also isn’t the first fashion retailer to collaborate with Fnatic. In 2020 Gucci released a Fnatic-branded watch, which sold for £1,150.
The partnership with Fnatic is unique by going beyond kit branding, with the pair producing content series with Fnatic talent including Tekkz, Mushway, Loeya and Moonryde, as well as VR experiences and AR filters.
Matthews added: “Through this partnership with Asos, we will empower all gamers to find their unique voice and style, inside and outside of the game.”
The companies have also agreed for Fnatic talent to appear in Asos campaigns and to design future kits together.
The deal unlocks Asos to Fnatic’s 30 million users and its gen Z demographic.
“Gaming and fashion are both passions for young adults,” said Asos chief growth officer Robert Birage. “Gen Zers increasingly express their style in both the physical and digital worlds, and this is something we’re excited to fuel.”