7-Eleven’s latest deal with Rocket League includes branded customization for user’s cars that can only be unlocked through real world purchases at participating stores. There are also promotions/contests for players to participate in, a 7-Eleven-themed vehicle to unlock, and 7-Eleven has even changed the name of their Blue Raspberry Slurpee to “Blue ROCKETBERRY”.

The partnership also includes naming rights for the upcoming North American Regional Event, now named the 7-Eleven Slurpee Cup. The trophy will feature odes to a 7-Eleven Slurpee with color changing features.

Inspiration from the Rocket League campaign came from a previous 2021 campaign, dubbed the #CarsOF7ELEVEN, that saw the brand's Instagram and TikTok accounts grow 208% over the course of a few weeks last fall.

Over the next year companies will look to leverage and create similar campaigns using titles like Rocket League, Fortnite, Roblox, and others to create seamless activations blended into the game in order to reach younger audiences that are typically resistant to traditional marketing efforts.

As the Metaverse becomes more prevalent, companies and properties alike are looking for ways to leverage sponsorships in the space. Finding ways to blend advertisements and product placement into the games themselves, in addition to enhancing the sponsorship through real world activations.

Rocket League is a perfect example of a traditional title that has leveraged in-game customization with sponsors. While they haven’t made the full leap to NFTs, they have run a series of promotional campaigns which include branded vehicles, in-game signage, decals and upgrades, and even unique game modes.