Forty media professionals received the Ultimate Royale treatment in the region’s first agency-wide esports tournament organised by Twitch.
It was a far cry from the everyday scene in office pantries, but a riotously fun escapade was what 40 professionals from nine media agencies experienced when they participated in a virtual cook-off during the inaugural Ultimate Royale tournament.
On 5 November, 12 teams representing Publicis Groupe, Xaxis, IPG, NEO, Ziji, OMG, Dentsu, Socialyse, and Havas participated in an afternoon of chaotic cooking in a classic online play of Overcooked! 2, a fan-favourite on Twitch.
During the five-hour battle, each team, comprising two to four master chefs, raced through heart-pounding, adrenaline-coursing obstacles that would have put Gordon Ramsay’s Hell Kitchen to shame.
Presented by Twitch, Ultimate Royale was the first-ever virtual esports tournament that pitted agencies’ gaming skills against one another.
Organised for Twitch’s agency partners, this bespoke tournament aimed to provide advertising executives with an opportunity to experience the magic of Twitch – home to unique, live and unpredictable experiences fuelled by the interactions of viewers – from the comfort of their own homes.
Sunil Yadav, Twitch’s head of agency development for APAC, said: “With social distancing measures in full swing, we wanted to create an opportunity for Twitch’s agency partners to bond with their colleagues in a fun and unconventional way.”
“Ninety two per cent of Twitch’s content is experienced live, and with more than 30 million viewers hanging out on Twitch each day, these numbers underscore the appeal of live experiences which have the power to bring people together and create special moments in time.
“Together with our agency partners, we are looking to help more brands tap into the passion points of our diverse communities and foster long-term engagements with them.”
The top two teams, who advanced from the round-robin stage to the qualifiers, to the grand final, were Publicis Groupe’s Michelin Chefs and Xaxis’ Xterminators, whose culinary rivalries took on fiery proportions as they vied for the title of Ultimate Royale champions.
Clad in virtual aprons, their avatars were assigned various “maps” which consisted of nightmarish kitchens retrofitted with precarious bridges, collapsing stairs, and shaky rigs hovering above a deep abyss or on flowing streams that could lead distracted chefs to an untimely death while one-eyed amphibious customers demanded to be served pronto.
Tested on their reflexes, teamwork and the ability to multitask, the players had to chop up lettuce and tomatoes, make sushi and tacos, fry burgers and nuggets, boil spaghetti, as well as dish out pepperoni pizzas and wash plates while racing against a ticking clock and circumventing industrial sabotage by their opponents.
Having clocked indeterminate hours to train for the contest, Publicis Groupe’s aptly named Michelin Chefs team decimated its opponents in every round and was crowned the inaugural Ultimate Royale champions.
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Source : https://www.marketing-interactive.com/the-ultimate-cook-off
The Gaming Company is one of the leading marketing agencies in the esports industry across Southeast Asia. Since its inception in 2014, TGC offers 360-degree solutions which includes digital, creative, content, marketing and promotion, live production, event and talent management.
