Dentsu has appointed Electronic Arts’ Brent Koning as its new vice-president, global gaming lead for Dentsu Gaming.
The hire comes as the agency group looks to aid brands in reaching billions of gamers around the world.
In his new role, Koning will not only head up innovation, partnerships and strategic investments but also deliver ‘interconnected brand experiences’ to ‘fuel’ clients’ growth.
Launched in 2021, Dentsu Gaming intends to act as a global integrated agency offering for brands targeting audiences in the gaming space. It uses various agency group resources including Dentsu Japan, Dentsu International, Carat, Dentsu X, iProspect, Dentsumcgarrybowen and Isobar.
Koning joins Dentsu after spending over two decases in the entertainment, esports and gaming industry. The ex EA vice-president of esports is accredited with launching the FIFA Ultimate Team Championship Series in 2017, which attained around 20 million players across 60 countries. Prior to joining the gaming giant, the new gaming lead worked in leadership roles for tech groups such as Ncompass International, Microsoft and Roundhouse.
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“Not only has he partnered with some of the world’s biggest publishers in EA and Xbox, he also has valuable experience working with global brands and delivering marketing solutions,” Dentsu chief integrated solutions officer, Masaya Nakamura, said.
“I’m thrilled Brent is joining the Dentsu family to accelerate the existing success of Dentsu gaming which brings decades of gaming expertise from Japan to the rest of the world, and helping our clients engage with their audience beyond traditional media channels.”
Koning himself added: “Gaming is evolving at lightning speed with innovation and technology expediting consumer adoption. I’m excited to be on a journey with Dentsu to create, enhance and invest in authentic gaming experiences for our clients in publishing, creator worlds and esports.”
The news comes days after Dentsu’s headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, were raided by Tokyo prosecutors following suspicions that the agency group rigged bids for contracts related to Tokyo 2020 Olympic test events.
