League of Legends Fans Poke Holes in Durex Marketing Strategy
League of Legends esports has had its fair share of questionable sponsors, but the most recent announcement had fans and players holding in giggles.
Durex Announces Sponsorship of LPL, MSI, Worlds
Durex recently announced a multi-faceted partnership with Riot Games, including China's League of Legends Pro League (LPL), the Midseason Invitational (MSI), and the World Championship.
While most sponsorships are pretty typical — like gaming chair and electronics companies — Mastercard, Bud Light, and State Farm have also been sponsors. But the latest non-endemic brand that wants to get gamers’ eyes on them is Durex, a condom and lubricant brand that describes itself as caring about “great, fun, safe sex.”
On a short note: Durex is now sponsoring #LPL pic.twitter.com/9A0x1a4mKi
— LPL Fanclub (@LPLfanclub) April 28, 2023
The irony of the common meme that League of Legends players are not desirable was not lost on the gaming community. In response to hearing the news, gamers replied with:
- Is this real?
- They really think League players leave their room
- Good on them for making sure gamers don’t reproduce
- Make your game last longer
- Durex competing with League of Legends to see which is the best preservative
- I don’t think the marketing guy at Durex knows the League demographic just right
- Seems a bit redundant; League of Legends is enough of a contraception
- Interesting strategy to sponsor your number one competitor
Durex is Not New to Esports
It’s unclear what the sponsorship will consist of, whether it’s advertisements during the broadcast or logo placements. Fans should probably expect commentators to have a bit of fun with the surprising sponsorship, however.
But this actually isn’t the first time that Durex has been involved in esports. While Durex has never been involved with League of Legends before, the company sponsored a Naraka Bladepoint event last year.
In the past, Durex has also been heavily involved in the gaming industry. This includes getting involved with Among Us at the height of its hype and even the release of the PlayStation 5. It makes sense due to the young adult demographic of esports and gaming, but it’s been hard for the esports fanbase to not make fun of the ironic situation.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!