JBL Coach Me Up

Overview

JBL’s designation as the Official Gaming Headset for PlayVS’s K-12 Scholastic Network was more than a logo placement — it was a full-funnel integration built to reach Gen Z gamers in the environments they trust most. I led the partnership strategy, content production direction, and distribution program that turned this sponsorship into a genuine cultural touchpoint within scholastic esports.

Campaign Components

The centerpiece of the activation was the “Coach Me Up” video content series — short-form instructional and tips-based content targeted at competitive student gamers. The series generated 248,690 total impressions and 265,173 total video views across 24 tagged posts. One video broke through algorithmically: “90% of VALORANT Players Don’t Know This” accumulated 223,584 views and contributed to 41+ hours of total watch time across the content library.

Alongside the digital content effort, I coordinated the distribution of 400 JBL Quantum headsets to 200 PlayVS schools. Rather than treating this as a simple gifting program, the distribution was structured to generate organic social content — students and coaches receiving gear through their school’s esports program created authentic, unscripted content that reinforced JBL’s credibility in the space.

Results

Total campaign engagement reached 11,211 interactions at a 4.5% engagement rate — a strong result for branded content reaching a Gen Z audience. The viral breakout video alone validated the “Coach Me Up” format as a repeatable content vehicle.

The partnership positioned JBL not as an external sponsor but as a functional part of how students compete and improve. That integration is what separates this activation from conventional brand deals in the esports space.