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How the Gucci Gaming Academy Is Supporting a New Generation of Gaming Influencers
The alluring world of competitive gaming has dominated social media for many years, inspiring a generation of gamers to embark on new challenges. In fact, the esport industry is predicted to be worth $1.5 billion by 2023. As gaming grows in popularity, a new set of influencers has grown alongside it, providing prosperous opportunities with worldwide brands. Recently, iconic fashion brand Gucci has partnered with FACEIT to create a support network for some of the world’s best gamers, helping them to nurture and excel in their abilities. Netinfluencer has uncovered everything there is to know about the Gucci Gaming Academy.
What Is the Gucci Gaming Academy?
After entering the world of esports in 2020, Gucci has now paired with FACEIT to build a development program that aims to give competitive gamers the skills they need to advance their careers.
The academy is currently made up of four highly skilled members with the hopes to add more candidates as the program develops. These members will be given health and wellbeing advice from the World Health Organization to ensure that they are not neglecting their key functions whilst playing games.
The Gucci Gaming Academy has also joined forces with a collection of hardware suppliers such as Logitech who will provide the gamers with an array of technology to make sure they are familiar with essential gaming equipment.
Who Are the Ambassadors?
As of June 2022, there are three main Gucci Gaming Ambassadors, each specializing in a set of key skills and tactics. These individuals will be described in more detail below.
Christopher Alesund
Known better as ‘Get_Right’, Christopher Alesund is a 32-year-old gamer from Sweden. Alesund entered the esports industry in 2007, earning a large amount of praise as a Counter-Strike player. During his time as a competitive Rifler, Alesund was ranked #2 in the world in both 2010 and 2011. In 2013 and 2014, he finally reached the #1 spot, making him one of the most prolific Counter-Strike players in history. In 2019, he was included in the Forbes 30 under 30 Sports and Gaming list for his 87-game winning streak, an achievement that is yet to be beaten.
James Bardolph
As a long-time partner with FACEIT, James Bardolph has climbed up the ranks in both Counter-Strike and esport commentary. The 38-year-old has produced commentary for some of the most prolific esports events in history such as ELEAGUE and Flashpoint. Despite coming from a strict upbringing, Bardolph has shown that his passion for gaming is worthwhile. Alongside gaming, Bardolph also plays poker and is a fan of Formula 1 racing.
Stephanie Harvey
After being crowned a 5x Counter-Strike World Champion, Stephanie ‘Miss Harvey’ Harvey is embarking on a new challenge to help others see her level of success. With a professional history with Ubisoft and Logic, Harvey expresses a worldly knowledge of multiple aspects of the gaming industry. In 2021, she accepted the Lifetime Achievement award at The Esports Awards for her contribution and dedication to the sector.
What Are the Aims of the Campaign?
The Gucci Gaming Academy strives to make gaming a more sustainable industry and aims to provide key players with everything they would need to see success. The main components of this campaign are separated into five elements.
Game Training
This element focuses on building essential skills and fostering growth in a player’s weaker areas. This will be achieved by daily gaming training as well as assistance from expert coaches. Candidates will also receive in-depth feedback 3x a week as well as individual sessions with the coaches.
Mental Health Support
By partnering with Mindwork, the academy will provide gamers with group sessions and individual sessions to support their mental wellbeing. These sessions will focus on building key teamworking skills as well as teach candidates how to deal with pressure and the impacts of online fame.
Education
The education element of this campaign focuses on two main objectives, to teach candidates about the importance of lawful regulation and to design a personal brand in order to gain successful marketing collaborations. Gucci has included Billy Jenks, a high-profile lawyer, and Prodigy, a leading esports talent agency to help candidates enter new markets and gain opportunities as they learn advanced skills as a gamer. The academy also teaches key business skills such as the need for negotiation and provides access to a plethora of learning resources.
Gucci Changemakers Program
Initially launched in 2018, the Gucci Changemakers Program is the brand’s CSR sector, focusing on bringing impactful change to deprived sectors across North America. The program offers a variety of scholarships to boost a sense of community and positive action. As part of the Gucci Gaming Academy, influencers will have the opportunity to contribute to these charitable campaigns and have the chance to set up their own helpful initiatives.
Hardware and Merchandising
This sector focuses on providing gamers with state-of-the-art equipment to allow them to gain the best possible results at all times. Working with Logitech, gamers will receive high-end monitors and PCs to contribute to their learning and development. They will also receive peripherals to ensure that their hearing is protected whilst gaming.
What Do Influencers Receive?
Aside from an assortment of resources and technology, these gaming influencers will also receive coaching and support at the highest level. Coaches Neil Murphy and Colin Thor are both decorated professionals with backgrounds in both gaming and development, helping to assist a new generation of competitive gamers in their new endeavors.
Plus, if an influencer has been approached by another team or scouted by another academy, they are free to embark on the venture. Thus, the Gucci Gaming Academy does not hold players back if they are looking to compete in new tournaments or at a higher level.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
Currently, the Gucci Gaming Academy is open to all players over the age of 18 in both Europe and North America. The institution hopes to roll out the campaign further as time goes on.
In order to apply to the academy, candidates must first apply through FPL, an intuitive in-house league system that collates some of the best players to train, stream, and compete in some of the largest competitions in the world. Once your application has been approved, you will be asked to complete various interviews to ensure that you have the potential and ability to join the scheme.
The Gucci Gaming Academy highlights how gaming influencers are quickly securing large sections of their respective markets. As these gamers become more popular and successful, they are more likely to embark on a collection of marketing campaigns, further validating the importance of influencer marketing in our modern world. To discover more about the power of gaming influencers, visit our website.
