The Challenge
Facing increasing demand from service members for esports events and leagues, the US Air Force came to Catchy looking for a partner that could help them understand the complex esports landscape and develop a brand strategy to enter the space. Authentically activating in esports is always a challenge for non-endemic brands and the situation was further complicated by the existence of strong grassroots esports programs like Air Force Gaming. The solution would need to establish the US Air Force as a serious player in the esports market, while respecting the role of grassroots programs that were already in place.
The Solution
Working together with top officials from the Air Force, Catchy did an in-depth analysis of the esports market to better understand how a military brand could position themselves to best serve airmen. From there the project came to life over the course of three distinct phases.
- Discovery: In the discovery phase, Catchy worked Air Force Command to define what success in the esports looks like, evaluate different brand strategies and build their approach to entering the market.
- Brand Development: The brand development phase utilized the results of the discovery phase to bring the new brand to life via visual assets, messaging frameworks and brand guidelines. This was a collaborative exercise that saw multiple rounds of review and input from the client to help guide development.
- Event Creation: Once the brand identity was developed, Catchy worked in conjunction with our partners at Atomic Infotech to bring the first Air Force Esports series, the Command Clash, to life.
Program Elements
- Market analysis
- Branding workshops
- Brand positioning
- Messaging frameworks
- Brand identity: Logos, look and feel, typeface, colors, etc.
- Brand guidelines
- Event design and branding
- Digital asset development
The Results
Command Clash launched in Fall of 2020 and was held at four Air Force bases across the country. The six-episode series was broadcast live on YouTube, featured over 100 participants, and generated over 300,000 streams. To help drive engagement, Command Clash also featured special guest celebrities from sports, music and pop culture.
