South Korean esports organisation DRX has announced a sponsorship deal signed between its FGC player Jae-Min ‘Knee’ Bae and German shampoo brand Alpecin Caffeine Shampoo.
As a result of the partnership, Bae will help create multiple marketing campaigns for the shampoo brand. This includes Bae hosting multiple events for his livestream viewers in the coming days to celebrate the sponsorship.
Highly recognised in the Tekken competitive scene, Bae was victorious at EVO 2022 as well as last year’s ONE Esports FIGHT! Tokyo Invitational 2022. According to the esports organisation, the player has secured more than 100 tournament championships.
This is the first time the German shampoo brand has sponsored an esports player. Created by Dr. Wolff, Alpecin is a male hair care brand that has grown in popularity primarily through its marketing campaigns that highlight the shampoo’s use of caffeine in its product. In addition to the activations, Bae will act as an Alpecin ambassador for the local market in South Korea.
Partnerships between brands and specific esports players are becoming more common in esports.
Notable examples include Razor working with Faker on an exclusive mouse, now-retired Call of Duty player Seth ‘Scump’ Abner teaming up with Oakley, and VALORANT player Tyson ‘TenZ’ Ngo collaborating with Finalmouse.
A representative from Dr. Wolfe commented on the partnership: “DRX Knee has built a recognizable name across the esports world and we anticipate him to be a great promoter for the Alpecin brand.
“It’s important for an esports player to present himself in good health and appearance, so we are excited to have him working with us. As the esports scene grows in the global market, we hope to reach out with more great products for our fans.”
