London-based esports giant Fnatic has launched a new ‘Drive is the Difference’ campaign as part of its partnership with BMW, in a bid to improve the mental wellbeing of pro players.
Fnatic and BMW said in a press release that the life of an esports pro is ‘incredibly intense across all titles, with some games requiring them to make 600 decisions per minute, with competing pros are subject to 51 external stress factors (including playing in front of an audience, and having to communicate under pressure)’.
To reach these levels of performance, players have to spend an average of 7-9 hours practicing every day.
Working with Octagon, Fnatic and BMW have created ‘Drive is the Difference’, designed to promote balance and ensure players are understanding both their mental and physical needs.
As part of this campaign, BMW took Fnatic FIFA esports world champion Tekkz, and esports star Shawrey, on a relaxing weekend away, allowing them to disconnect from the pressures of the gaming world, recharge and ‘find their drive’.
This campaign includes a documentary-style hero video and four shorter supporting videos that focus on each of the activities across the weekend.
“You have to be efficient in every aspect of life – and rest and relaxation is no exception. That balance is what has led stars like Tekkz to become happy and healthy champions.”
Colin Johnson, Fnatic
“These young stars are incredible at what they do, what’s important to Fnatic and BMW is ensuring they always maintain their joy for the sport – that’s why we are so excited to launch ‘Drive is the Difference’,” said James, general manager at BMW.
“We hope this will send a strong message out to the esports community globally, encouraging all gamers to follow the example set by Tekkz to find that all-important balance in their lives.”
Colin Johnson, team director and new projects lead at Fnatic, stated: “Performance is something that BMW and Fnatic have always had in common, but an oft-neglected part of performance is what to do during your downtime.
“Drive is the Difference is a perfect example of the importance of the idea that running yourself into the ground is not always the key to success – you have to be efficient in every aspect of life and rest and relaxation is no exception. That balance is what has led stars like Tekkz to become happy and healthy champions and we hope that is communicated to our fanbase and the rest of the community through this initiative.”
Ryan Shaw, creative director at Octagon, said: “Drive is the Difference is a first in its kind programme in the esports world and one I’m very proud of. Our film documents two esports stars completely unplugging from gaming to come back feeling refreshed and recharged.
“It’s quite unexpected for a performance brand to actually take you away from the sport you love, but that’s what makes BMW such a brilliant sponsor, they understand the importance of finding balance, so you always find joy in playing at that top level”.
You can watch the full edit of the new ‘Drive Is The Difference’ campaign on YouTube here.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
