In July 2023, the Chinese car brand Haval announced a partnership with the Russian eSports club Virtus.pro. Representatives of the company noted that in this way they expect to increase awareness among the young audience. The partnership turned out to be successful: a few months after the original deal, Haval consistently entered into agreements with the EPIC League and OMEGA League tournaments, and then extended the partnership with VP. Havail Motor Rus executive Jerome Sego told Cybersport.ru about the results of the company’s esports integrations.
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– What are the reasons for Haval’s integration into esports? How did the idea of this collaboration come about?
– Esports has become an important part of youth culture and continues to capture an ever larger audience. We noticed this trend, developed a system of assessing all potential territories for partnerships and came to the conclusion that this area fully reflects the philosophy and core values of the brand. Acting as the exclusive automotive partner of the leading eSports club Virtus.pro, we contribute to the development of this promising direction, as well as strive to establish contact with a young audience.
We note that esports fans are demanding for comfort in everyday life, which is directly related to high technology. Haval manufactures and offers consumers high-tech crossovers at the best price, meeting the needs of the younger generation.
In addition, integration into eSports is our work for the future: the brand develops along with its audience. We believe that integration has unlimited potential.
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Jerome This
– Why did you choose Dota 2 and CS: GO disciplines among others, and Virtus.pro as a support team?
– We decided to support Dota 2 and CS: GO rosters, because these are the most popular esports disciplines in Russia, and Virtus.pro is one of the most famous, reputable and titled clubs in the CIS.
– How did you support esports in 2023? How do you assess the results?
– Haval has been supporting the first Virtus.pro Dota 2 roster from July 1, 2023. Last year, we also supported broadcasts of a number of major esports tournaments for viewers in Russia and the CIS countries, including the OMEGA League and EPIC League in Dota 2, as well as ESL Pro League and IEM New York CS: GO tournaments. Support for the team and the competition is not only the beginning of a great cooperation for Haval, but at the same time the longest project of this scale in the CIS.
Sponsorship is a long-term investment in the future, a contribution to brand perception. However, we are already seeing impressive results: in 2023, Haval reached 17 million in terms of sponsorship of Virtus.рro’s first Dota 2 roster. The brand’s presence on the eSports territory was noticed and appreciated by the audience and the professional community. In 2023, we not only extended the project, but also expanded it.
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Virtus.pro at the presentation of partnership with Haval
– Tell us more about your plans. What are your expectations from further cooperation? How do you think such cooperation should develop?
– In 2023, Haval is an exclusive automotive partner of not only the Virtus.pro Dota 2 roster, but also the Virtus.pro CS: GO team. In addition, we continue to support eSports tournaments in these disciplines. In 2023, we have to launch special projects and create unique content for the esports audience. We also plan to cooperate with other industry players.
– What unites the brand and the esports team: how do they invest in mutual development?
– Haval and Virtus.pro are united by courage: we use non-standard approaches and technologies to achieve ambitious goals. We do not compromise on quality and together we are rapidly gaining popularity among a young audience. We are confident that our cooperation opens up completely new opportunities for us.
– Automotive industry and e-sports after the pandemic: what will be the main changes and directions of development?
– Against the background of a general downturn in the automotive market in 2023, the Haval brand in Russia continues to confidently develop: we increased sales by 41% compared to 2019, began construction of a plant for the production of engines in the Tula region, where our full-cycle plant is already operating, and expanded the network to 96 official dealerships.
The popularity of esports is growing rapidly: the processes of digitalization and the transition to online have accelerated, and this trend cannot be stopped. Esports is accessible, understandable and interesting for a progressive audience. Many companies understand this.
We believe that we have chosen the perfect moment to integrate into esports: before Haval, no automotive brand in the CIS has supported clubs and the industry in general at this level.
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Virtus.pro
The most important thing now is not just to read trends, but to be able to adapt and integrate into the current context. With our integrated and multi-tiered sponsorship program, I think we are doing very well.
– Do you play video games yourself? Do you have a favorite game?
– I am familiar with the world of video games thanks to my children. They play League of Legends, so they follow the events of esports.
