Sandisk is challenging Twitch streamers to take on a masked gamer whose skills will shine across multiple titles. The tech company is promoting its Optimus line of solid-state drives by teaming up with the creative agency CALLEN to launch a campaign called OP.
On September 2, the Sandisk Optimus Twitch channel will introduce the overpowered competitor who gives OP its name. Though a mask and a voice modulator will conceal the streamer’s identity, their gameplay will (theoretically) make them stand out.
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Sandisk and CALLEN want to prove that their masked gamer is no schnook, so they have assembled an all-star lineup of opponents across a variety of games. The inaugural OP stream will feature TenZ, Doublelift, and Aramori, all of whom have professional esports experience. They’re all currently on the roster for Sentinels, an esports org that serves as an official Sandisk partner.
OP is the latest publicity stunt from Sandisk and CALLEN, who previously teamed up to integrate a robot called Memory Man into streamer broadcasts. This time, the two partners are reenacting a classic streamer origin story: The outsider who successfully competes among the pros. The streamer Disguised Toast, for example, first gained widespread attention after taking down a Hearthstone tournament without once revealing his face or identity.
Will the OP campaign become an internet-age answer to The Masked Singer or a footnote consigned to the creator marketing scrap heap? The answer to that question will depend on the quality of OP’s gameplay — and that’s what makes the campaign so compelling. Only by tuning in can viewers discover whether the masked gamer is a force to be reckoned with or a letdown whose boasts age like milk. And if OP does live up to their promise, Sandisk’s customers might just feel overpowered themselves. That’s a feeling that could sell an SSD or two.
