Team Liquid Philippines-Watsons partnership aims to promote self-care

MANILA, Philippines – Days before Team Liquid Philippines (then Liquid Echo) won the 13th season of the Mobile Legends Professional League (MPL) Philippines, the team announced that it will partner with Watsons as its official health and beauty partner.

Many questioned why Watsons would partner with an esports team.

"Marami silang fans na na-surprise. Si Watsons partner? If it had been a tech company, no question, pero health and beauty brand? Bakit? Actually, Watsons has been exploring getting into the esports scene since two years ago," recalled Jared Ernest De Guzman, Watsons Philippines' customer director.

As they continued to make attempts in entering the esports scene, Team Liquid Philippines' business development manager Kyle De Leon reached out, and the partnership was cemented three days later.

"The timing was perfect. We were transitioning to Team Liquid Philippines and just about to enter the playoffs. The partnership was really shaped by the shared values of both Watsons and Team Liquid Philippines. The values of both parties really aligned. We wanted to highlight that esports athletes are also conscious about their lifestyle," said De Leon.

De Guzman added that many believe gamers do not take care of themselves, an assumption Watsons hopes to change.

He added: "There is that connotation that if you are a gamer, you don't go out, you don't take care of yourself. But what we're communicating is that if you want to be an esports athlete, you have to be holistic. Health, mind and body. Everything has to be there. If one of those is off, you can't be an athlete."

On the side of the team, country manager Mitch Liwanag as well as head coach Archie "TicTac" Reyes, have seen a shift in the players' lives.

"This is the first time that Watsons entered the [esports] scene. When they did, the players became very influenced to be more aware of themselves. Hindi ibig sabihin ay lalaki ka ‘di mo inaalagaan yung sarili mo. Hindi lang sa health, pati how they brand themselves. It really changed their lifestyle and helped with their confidence.  Ngayon yung wellness, yung health nila, inaalagaan nila. Alam nila na sobrang hirap lumaban without properly taking care of yourself. Mas naging aware sila sa sarili nila," shared Liwanag.

Reyes added: "Nagkaroon sila ng disiplina sa sarili nila. Aware sila na dapat presentable before kasi parang paglalabas sa boot camp kahit anung itsura nila ok lang. Mas naging aware sila na dapat presentable."

As Liwanag puts it, the team's partnership with Watsons is a message, changing the perspective that health and wellness is universal regardless of gender and age.

"It's like in esports we call it breaking the meta, going out of the box," compared Liwanag.

"At Watsons, we want to be more inclusive. The initial identity of Watsons is that we're catering to women. Tama naman, largely women but what about the men. We want to make it all inclusive that men also need self-care. Our brand promise has always been to make everyone Look Good. Do Good. Feel Great. It's very much applicable to our young esports players. When you look good and feel good about yourself, you excel and you're at the top of your game," said Watsons Philippines' senior AVP for marketing, PR & sustainability Sharon Decapia.

Though the partnership is in its early stages, both organizations have plans in hopes of promoting self-care, grooming and healthy living within the esports community.

"We have a lot in place, this is just the beginning," shared Decapia.