👾 League of Legends Makes Lil Nas X Their President.

Welcome to The Level Ups. Modern business news for the future business leader (explained in plain-Jane English).

Today, we explore the best brand partnership I’ve seen in years.

• Lil Nas X is named President of the hit online game, League of Legends.

• What he’s doing for the collab.

• Why this partnership is a great move.

• Highlights from the promotion.

Let’s get into it.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes & 47 seconds

What’s Going On Here?

Lil Nas X was named “President” of League of Legends in promotion of the 2022 World Championships.

Check out the appointment video for Lil Nas eXecutive. Note: there are a lot of inside jokes for gamers.

His name and face are on many international Instagram accounts, and the main Twitter now named “LolNasX.”

He’s been announcing details about the World Championships, new releases from the game, and much more on their Twitter account (which is all about him now).

It feels like he’s just taken over, which is what the company was going for when they signed him.

Background:

The game.

League of Legends is one of the top esports games on the market, with 180M players and fans per month.

The 2021 world championship was the most watched esports event of the year. Viewership was at 4M on average and 30M during the finals. League broke its record.

These numbers exclude viewers in China, which I expect are 5-10x this number. Actual viewership for the League of Legends finals was likely higher than the Super Bowl.

That’s a lot of nerds.

Lil Nas X.

Lil Nas X is a grammy-winning musician and singer known for “Old Town Road,” which went viral and was on the billboard charts for 19 weeks.

He’s collaborated with everyone from Billy Ray Cyrus to Cardi B and is the only musician to come out as gay while holding the #1 spot.

Two days ago, he sent pizza to homophobic protestors outside his Boston show.

You wouldn’t think a top computer game and a singer/rapper like Lil Nas X would make sense on paper. But they’ve made it work, and it’s well executed.

Let’s start with the context.

The Details

The deal includes him designing an in-game character skin, creating the world championship song, and performing live. Let's break down each part.

You may also be wondering if he’s actually president. He’s not. It’s promotional.

The Skin

Skins are purchasable items that change the aesthetics of on-screen characters. Design changes include different outfits, sound effects, animations and voice-acting. It’s how players customize the appearance of their characters.

And they make 💰💰💰. League of Legends made Riot Games (their parent company) $1.75B in sales. They released 140 skins in 2021. It seems like they’re doing well by these.

Lil Nas X will co-design one of these characters (a new one). The last collab on this scale was for a skin with Louis Vuitton (also for the World Championships).

The Song

Every year, the World Championships releases a new song. It’s sometimes on the top of the billboards, and it sometimes flops.

The new song for 2022 was just released (after much hype) and is another big part of the collaboration. You can check it out too.

The Performance

This is where most collaborations like this start and stop. Companies will say: “we have a musician; let’s have them perform,” and leave it there.

I think the performance will do well, but to me, it’s the least interesting part of the collaboration.

Why This is Amazing (& a Big Risk):

Game companies must continue appealing to young audiences because gamers are typically under 30. This partnership is a great case study. Lil Nas X is only 23 himself.

Most brand partnerships are like a typical influencer relationship. It’s usually very shallow.

“You’re pretty and popular, so we’ll pay you to show up for a few hours and use your face in our ads. Plus, you’ll tell people how great we are, so your fans buy our stuff.”

That’s the general (perhaps cynical) version of most influencer collaborations.

League of Legends took it to another level.

Lil Nas X is designing in-game content, making championship songs, and performing. But he’s also announcing updates to the game, new characters, new skins, and more every day. When I say “he’s” doing it, I mean the account with his face on it.

The level of depth allows fanbases to connect and feel more connected to each other because of how strongly they’re connected.

So what’s the risk?

Imagine if Lil Nas X were arrested tomorrow for a serious crime. How bad would that look for League of Legends?

The reverse is also true. If League of Legends has a big scandal, Nas won’t be happy having his face all over their online presence.

Brands are often afraid of getting too close to one another in case the other side f*cks up and makes them look bad. Sure, money could hold deals back, but that’s usually not it.

Another reason is the fear of becoming dependent on the new face. If a small company signed a massive celebrity, the difference in power is a risk.

It'll help sales. That exposure for a small company is critical. But what happens when the deal expires? Now that little company needs the influencer (and they know it). Good luck negotiating that deal.

For a company as old and big as Riot Games (which owns League), it’s less likely this is an issue. Lil Nas X will be the face for a month or two, they’ll enjoy the cross-promotion, and then it’s done until the next collab.

Wrapping Up:

Riot Games took a typical collaboration to the next level in a way that resonates with its fans and sets a new example, despite the risks.

Watch as more companies try and do the same.

Thanks for reading!