Sony Announces “PlayStation Playmakers”, New Program Featuring Influencer Collabs

Sony has announced a new initiative called the “PlayStation Playmakers” at which a variety of cultural influencers will be invited to an exclusive program. The details of the collaboration are shared by Eric Lempel, SVP and Head of Global Marketing at Sony Interactive Entertainment.

The famous personalities to join will include NBA icon LeBron James, country music star Jimmie Allen, actor and comedian King Bach, professional BMX athlete Nigel Sylvester, WNBA All-Rookie NaLyssa Smith, NFL stars Ja’Marr Chase and CeeDee Lamb, French football freestyler Lisa Zimouche, Belgian football star Romelu Lukaku, Brazilian content creator Julio Cocielo, and a variety of other stars from the worlds of gaming, sports, esports, and entertainment.

To stay updated on the new initiative, Sony advises fans to stay tuned to the social handles of the included celebrities. Regarding the selection criteria, Sony states:

Our approach has always focused on partnerships with genuine PlayStation fans who love to share their passion with their friends, community and fellow gamers. We also wanted to assemble a group of talent who resonate globally and on a regional level, while representing the diversity of our PlayStation community.

When asked why now, Eric cited the exponential growth of PS games and hardware as the motivation for the announcement (PSVR2).

2023 is going to be a really exciting year for PlayStation fans. We’re seeing a wonderful response from gamers to the DualSense Edge wireless controller and PlayStation VR2.

So, it just felt right to launch this program early this year as we pave the way for some fun collaborations to come.

Eric was also questioned on the inclusion of iconic celebrity LeBron James to which he stated:

LeBron is an avid gamer and is passionate about his family and his community. When we shared the creative for our “All Parents Can Relate” campaign, it was a natural fit because he and Bronny are such big God of War fans.

The move is part of Sony’s larger strategy to publicise and promote its upcoming releases. With this, certain influencers may now inform their audience about Sony’s most recent development, sparking an increase in interest and serving as an indirect marketing for their products.