The ultimate cook-off

This post is sponsored by Twitch.

Forty media professionals received the Ultimate Royale treatment in the region’s first agency-wide esports tournament organised by Twitch.

It was a far cry from the everyday scene in office pantries, but a riotously fun escapade was what 40 professionals from nine media agencies experienced when they participated in a virtual cook-off during the inaugural Ultimate Royale tournament.

On 5 November, 12 teams representing Publicis Groupe, Xaxis, IPG, NEO, Ziji, OMG, Dentsu, Socialyse, and Havas participated in an afternoon of chaotic cooking in a classic online play of Overcooked! 2, a fan-favourite on Twitch.

During the five-hour battle, each team, comprising two to four master chefs, raced through heart-pounding, adrenaline-coursing obstacles that would have put Gordon Ramsay’s Hell Kitchen to shame. 

Presented by Twitch, Ultimate Royale was the first-ever virtual esports tournament that pitted agencies’ gaming skills against one another.

Organised for Twitch’s agency partners, this bespoke tournament aimed to provide advertising executives with an opportunity to experience the magic of Twitch – home to unique, live and unpredictable experiences fuelled by the interactions of viewers – from the comfort of their own homes.

Sunil Yadav, Twitch’s head of agency development for APAC, said: “With social distancing measures in full swing, we wanted to create an opportunity for Twitch’s agency partners to bond with their colleagues in a fun and unconventional way.”

“Ninety two per cent of Twitch’s content is experienced live, and with more than 30 million viewers hanging out on Twitch each day, these numbers underscore the appeal of live experiences which have the power to bring people together and create special moments in time.

“Together with our agency partners, we are looking to help more brands tap into the passion points of our diverse communities and foster long-term engagements with them.”

The top two teams, who advanced from the round-robin stage to the qualifiers, to the grand final, were Publicis Groupe’s Michelin Chefs and Xaxis’ Xterminators, whose culinary rivalries took on fiery proportions as they vied for the title of Ultimate Royale champions.

Clad in virtual aprons, their avatars were assigned various “maps” which consisted of nightmarish kitchens retrofitted with precarious bridges, collapsing stairs, and shaky rigs hovering above a deep abyss or on flowing streams that could lead distracted chefs to an untimely death while one-eyed amphibious customers demanded to be served pronto.

A scene from Ultimate Royale – Ziji versus NMW.

Tested on their reflexes, teamwork and the ability to multitask, the players had to chop up lettuce and tomatoes, make sushi and tacos, fry burgers and nuggets, boil spaghetti, as well as dish out pepperoni pizzas and wash plates while racing against a ticking clock and circumventing industrial sabotage by their opponents.

Having clocked indeterminate hours to train for the contest, Publicis Groupe’s aptly named Michelin Chefs team decimated its opponents in every round and was crowned the inaugural Ultimate Royale champions.

Winners of the Ultimate Royale – Publicis Groupe: Myra Goon, Michelle Chin, Paean Yeo, Grace Benico (left to right).

Beaming from ear to ear, and modelling a specially designed team jersey emblazoned with the Publicis Groupe logo, team captain Myra Goon attributed its success to being able to maintain laser-like focus despite the ensuing chaos, as well as harnessing the strengths of different players for specific challenges.

Mohammed Jahafer, from the runner-up team Xterminators!, shared: “Putting on the hats of a chef and representing Xaxis APAC in the first-ever 2021 Ultimate Royale cook-off was ‘buntastic’!

“We were fully absorbed in the chaotic fun, but we also always reminded each other to be relaxed – even forming a virtual calming circle before each map! The nightly practice sessions leading to game day, and knowing each other’s quirks under pressure, are surely some of the things we will miss.”

Ultimate Royale was a highly interactive experience not just for the players, but also for the viewers. Throughout the tournament, a steady stream of fan conversations peppered the stream-chat window as viewers gamely answered riddles and took part in three rounds of “Guess the dish, and win the ultimate kit” contest. Prizes up for grabs included cooking utensils, a kitchen apron as well as bragging rights for 10 viewers who correctly predicted the winning team.

Natalie Diong, who was part of the Michelin Stars team, representing IPG, commented: “It was an amazing experience and a great time to also bond with colleagues during the unique WFH circumstances.”

The chat box was active with messages of support from across the region as cheerleaders from the nine agencies rooted for their home teams. In total, the event recorded a viewership of 477 hours, reaching a peak of 130 viewers during the five-hour stream.

Twitch is the world’s leading live-streaming service for content spanning gaming, entertainment, sports, music, and more. On average, more than 2.5 million people are tuning in to Twitch at any given moment. The Twitch community is comprised primarily of Gen Z and Millennials, with 70% of viewers between the ages of 16 and 34.

Last year, more than 13 million people decided to stream for the first time on Twitch. In just one year, the Twitch community consumed one trillion minutes of video, up from 600 billion minutes in 2019.

To watch the minute-by-minute replay of Ultimate Royale, visit https://www.twitch.tv/twitchultimateroyale_2021. For more information about advertising on Twitch, go to http://twitchads.tv/.