Dive Brief:

• Electronics company Dell launched a campaign this week that aims to reshape the perception of video gamers ahead of Black Friday, according to a press release made available to Marketing Dive.
• The effort, developed with agency Y&R North American, features "unexpected gamers" such as a Gamer Grandpa, WWE wrestler Xavier Woods and Nerdist host Jessica Chobot. The campaign includes videos featuring the influencers and shorter video content on Dell's Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Chobot will also run a live show on Legendary Digital Networks.
• Meanwhile, Dell says its gaming marketing is projected to hit $30 billion by the end of 2018, while the competitive gaming market is estimated to grow to $1 billion in the next three years, according to Goldman Sachs.

Dive Insight:

With this campaign, Dell is aiming to draw a large group of videogame fans to its content online ahead of the Black Friday shopping surge, when several new games are set to be released, including "Star Wars Battlefront 2" and "The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim." Dell, a tech company that's often associated with office and work-related devices, also appears to be ramping up marketing efforts to be perceived as a gaming accessories company, with devices like Alienware mice, keyboards and consoles created specifically for dedicated gamers.

One reason tapping into the gaming industry is appealing to marketers is because the audience is generally more engaged with an app or a video game than they are with more passively consumed media like TV. Dell clearly hopes the partnerships will boost some brand buzz ahead of the busy holiday shopping and gift-giving season, as well as draw gamers to the extra content online and on the brand's and influencers' social media channels.

Another reason many brands are interested in gaming and e-sports is because the category reaches a large consumer group of males between 21 and 35, a segment that's becoming increasingly difficult to engage with traditional marketing efforts. Although, as Dell's campaign seeks to convey, the audience for gaming is also much broader. 

Several other brands have hopped on the gaming and e-sports trend or tapped influencers to stir up excitement, including KFC's recent move to transform its icon Colonel Sanders into a playable character in the WWE 2K18 game. Other efforts include Buffalo Wild Wings' partnership with e-sports organization Team Dignitas and Activision to tie the release of "Call of Duty: WWII" to its Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin' Rewards loyalty program.