The Cathedral of Counter-Strike: Taking IEM Cologne to the Streets
Pack London took IEM Cologne 2026 to the streets of the city that hosts it. Working with ESL, we ran a three-week multi-format campaign through May to drive ticket sales and buzz for the Intel Extreme Masters tournament at the Lanxess Arena, the venue Counter-Strike fans call the Cathedral of Counter-Strike.
A City Primed for the Cathedral of Counter-Strike
The plan combined traditional and non-traditional formats with precise targeting: gaming, retail and culture hotspots, the city’s busiest commuter hubs, and the approaches to the arena itself. By the time the world’s best 32 teams arrived to compete for the $1,250,000 prize pool, Cologne already knew.
The Formats
- Metro & Rail Digital 6-Sheets: Dynamic screens across the metro and rail network in the Deutz Trade Fair Area, minutes from the arena.
- Large Digital Infoscreens: High-impact digital placements at Central Station and the Deutz Trade Fair Area, reaching every wave of arriving fans.
- Premium Columns: Cologne’s iconic advertising columns carrying the campaign at street level on key roadside routes.
- Authorised A1 Street Posters: Street-level poster runs through the city’s gaming, retail and culture districts.
- Central Station Ground Poster: A floor vinyl pointing arrivals straight to the event: IEM Cologne, this way.
- Rail & Roadside Billboards: Large-format coverage on commuter rail corridors and main roads across the city.
Three Weeks to Fill the Biggest Stage in Counter-Strike
Esports audiences are young, urban and mobile, exactly the people out-of-home reaches best. Three weeks of citywide presence put one of gaming’s major international events in front of Cologne at every turn: on the platform, on the concourse, on the street and on the way to the arena doors.
Planning something similar for your brand? Explore our outdoor advertising services or get in touch with the team.
