Jacob Lundmark

ESL FACEIT Group Launch

Bringing three industry leaders together under one identity.

Snapshot

Launching a new masterbrand under extreme time pressure.

When ESL Gaming (ESL + DreamHack) and FACEIT merged in early 2023, the new company had already been announced, but the corporate brand had never been fully activated. When it was time to properly launch ESL FACEIT Group, external constraints meant we had just a 2,5 weeks to create a complete and launch a corporate identity that could unify internal teams and external partners across B2B and B2E. With the organisation still in motion, clarity and speed were critical.

As Senior Brand Manager at EFG, I stepped in to lead the launch from start to finish during an intense time pressure. I owned the day-to-day work, coordinated closely with our brand agency Superunion and aligned stakeholders across brand, product, legal, HR, comms, the C-suite and our external management consultants from Bain & Company. I led the implementation across every touchpoint, from internal decks and onboarding material to owned channels and partner-facing presentations, making sure the organisation was fully ready to launch on time.

As a result ESL FACEIT Group launched on schedule and in sync across all regions and departments. The company was able to present a clear and credible identity from day one, helping establish immediate trust with publishers, partners and future hires. The brand platform and assets are still in use today and continue to form the foundation of all corporate communication and marketing.

Our Starting point

One company on paper,
many realities in practice.

The merger brought together three strong brands with different histories, cultures and ways of working. Internally, teams were still identifying as ESL, DreamHack or FACEIT. Externally, partners needed clarity on who they were now dealing with.

The starting point was clear. EFG needed a unifying identity that felt neutral, credible and confident but with room the let our consumer facing brands shine. It had to work across B2B, B2E and corporate communication, and it had to launch fast without cutting too many corners.

What we did

The Steps to Success

Scope & Brief

Time was extremely limited. I quickly mapped every required touchpoint and asset, prioritised what had to be ready for launch and defined what the brand needed to do at a strategic level. I turned this into a focused brief for the agency and internal teams. The direction was clear: a smart, credible corporate brand that left room for the consumer-facing brands to lead.

Creative

Superunion (now DBP) led the creative development of the brand identity. In parallel, I assembled a small internal design team and worked hands-on to produce and adapt assets across all required touchpoints. The focus was speed, consistency and full delivery.

Implementation Strategy

I worked closely with our brand agency, internal stakeholders and our consulting partner to define a realistic rollout plan under heavy time pressure. I aligned expectations across teams and formalised the launch approach. I presented and secured approval from C-level leadership before execution.

Lookbook and next steps

A full brand playbook wasn’t feasible before launch. Instead, we delivered a light but practical brand lookbook and i stayed in close contact with teams during rollout. Full guidelines were completed and delivered shortly after launch to support long-term use and easier governance.