North American esports organisation Version1 has announced a partnership with frozen food brand Pagoda Snacks.
The deal will see both parties collaborate on content focused on the upcoming launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
In addition to the content, the brand will sponsor three of the organisation’s content creators. Pagoda branding and promotional messaging will also appear during streams and on their social media channels.
The deal marks Pagoda’s first partnership with an esports organisation. Prior to partnering with Version1, the brand teamed up with a number of Twitch streamers to execute activations during broadcasts.
Version1 is no stranger to food partnerships. In August, it joined forces with Bush’s Beans to host a collegiate Rocket League tournament. Moreover, dairy industry initiative Undeniably Dairy became the official nutrition partner of its Rocket League team.
Promoting Call of Duty is a logical step for the organisation due to its involvement in the Call of Duty League. Version1 operates the Minnesota RØKKR franchise, which narrowly missed out on a place at the 2022 Call of Duty League Championship.
Blaise Butler, Partnerships Manager at Version1, spoke on the deal: “The sheer volume of online discussion about Call of Duty games in the period before and after launch is nothing short of remarkable.
“If you look at the landscape of the gaming industry, large companies frequently try to insert themselves into milestone events like these, but they end up falling short because they aren’t actually providing anything of value to the audiences they’re trying to reach. The content portfolio we’re developing with Pagoda® Snacks around Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is being carefully designed to make sure we are adding value to the community.”
