The Brief
With Legion Masters 2022, we were tasked with achieving three goals for Lenovo.
First, there was the aim to foster the development of Lenovo-owned esports IP, building the groundwork for the brand to establish a long-term presence in the scene.
Second was the goal of accelerating the growth of both Lenovo’s Discord and Twitch communities.
Third, we were tasked with fostering deeply-engaged advocates of the Lenovo brand, deepening the connections between Lenovo and their customers.
The Challenges
As with any esports tournament, there were a number of significant challenges to overcome. For instance, it was necessary to coordinate with other Apex Legends tournament organisers, so as to ensure that there was no direct conflict between Legion Masters and other competitions. Additionally, striking the right balance between affordability and quality when it came to influencers to promote the tournament wasn’t easy. However, with the help of some creative thinking, we managed to line the streamer Daltoosh up to satisfy Lenovo’s needs as well as their budget.
What we did & results
The first two seasons took place in a single year, with the third season starting in April 2022. The tournament structure evolved over the three seasons, transitioning from a community-based competition in the first two seasons to a format where Pro Teams were officially invited for the third season.
Season 3 brought significant enhancements, including a new tournament structure, additional logos for the tournament and each region, improved stream presentation with hired Observers working alongside Influencers, extended prizes, and custom trophies for each region. The tournament received a boost from Lenovo's sponsorship, with Intel joining as a partner, contributing to increased visibility and a larger budget.
Despite initial plans for two more seasons, the project was discontinued after the third season as the client established its own Social Media department to handle such initiatives.
One added bonus was the enthusiasm of the NA influencer BEEWHYAN, who created extra posts and became a regular streamer for Lenovo as a direct result of Legion Masters.