Wonderful Pistachios links with star streamer as part of gaming push

Dive Brief:

• Wonderful Pistachios has partnered with streamer Brennon “GoldGlove” O’Neill as part of an expansion into the gaming and esports categories that kickstarted earlier this year, according to a news release.
• The packaged foods brand marketed by The Wonderful Company is sponsoring GoldGlove’s livestreams starting today (Sept. 17) with a Twitch session of NBA 2K. The deal encompasses two additional livestreams in October, giving viewers more chances to redeem exclusive promotional offers on No Shells BBQ and No Shells Sea Salt & Vinegar variants.
• Wonderful Pistachios is looking to tap into GoldGlove’s audience of 1.4 million followers on Twitch and 1.2 million subscribers on YouTube amid a boom time for video game streaming. More than 80% of esports fans eat or drink while watching other people play, per a Newzoo report cited by the brand.

Dive Insight:

Wonderful Pistachios is establishing a deeper connection to a popular gaming creator as it tries to promote healthier snack alternatives in a category that’s potentially underserved. Nearly half of North American gamers consume salty snacks during a play session, per Newzoo research, while 48% drink soda. Influencers and content creators tend to foster high levels of trust in their audiences, meaning the marketer has the chance to engage millions of GoldGlove followers who may not be as easy to reach through traditional ad-supported media.

Along with the GoldGlove partnership, Wonderful Pistachios is taking more pointed jabs at packaged food competitors. A new ad depicts a man powering up and then violently ripping apart a bag of potato chips over a blood-red “Chiptality” text and accompanying voiceover. The concept is a clear reference to the infamously brutal “Fatality” kill moves from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series, which has a dedicated controversies page on Wikipedia.

With the campaign, Wonderful Pistachios is trying to broaden its customer base after surpassing $1 billion in retail sales in 2020. Gaming has been in the spotlight this year, with The Wonderful Company brand in May rolling out a $1 million execution centered on its No Shells line. The effort spans YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Snapchat and other social channels.

Snacks are a common advertiser category in gaming, but the space continues to diversify as its popularity grows. Forty-seven million U.S. adults claim to be esports fans, per MRI Simmons data cited by Wonderful Pistachios, and the industry has started to shake its male-dominated image. E.l.f. Cosmetics started partnering with Twitch creators last year to account for what it views as a gender imbalance in the gaming world. The beauty brand in May sponsored a TikTok content series called “TikTok Gamers Got Talent.”