The telecom market has long been divided among a handful of large players, and subscribers rarely switch operators. Only 8% of Russians consider doing so, which means even a small shift in brand choice and perception counts as a meaningful result (Brand Pulse, 2025). A young audience is more open to changing operators, which makes it especially important for every player in the category. To build a long-term connection with that audience, Beeline chose gaming: today one in three Russians aged 25–45 plays weekly (Brand Pulse, 2025). At the same time, gaming is a culture of its own, with its own platforms, celebrities, language and rules. This audience has a sharp sense for anything fake, so it is not enough for a brand simply to appear in a game or to be integrated into a broadcast: it has to understand the community’s internal problems and speak with it as an equal.
Problem
In a toxic gaming community, almost anything personal becomes a target for mockery — love most of all. That is why couples who play often hide their relationship, afraid they will no longer be taken seriously as opponents. Beeline saw love not as a weakness but as a competitive advantage: trust, mutual understanding and support make partners stronger as a team. It was important for us to turn that insight into a mechanic that would engage gamers, showcase Beeline’s products naturally and influence the choice of operator. The project’s goals were to increase brand consideration and strengthen the perception of Beeline as sincere, progressive and relevant to young people.
Solution
We created LOVE CUP — the first Counter-Strike 2 tournament for couples, where they could show a high level of play and change the community’s attitude. Qualifying matches, a live final on Twitch and professional casters made LOVE CUP a genuine esports event. Custom maps and challenges built around trust, communication and teamwork brought out the couples’ key advantage: the closer the partners, the better they played together. The brand was deeply integrated into the tournament mechanics. In season one, a special mode had a couple control a single character and share their playing time, just as Beeline subscribers share minutes and gigabytes in the “Share Everything” service. Interest in the first season confirmed the project’s potential, so for the second we expanded media support and brought in well-known hosts: popular streamer Dima Lixxx and comedian Olga Parfenyuk, host of one of Russia’s most popular dating shows. This helped keep the trust of the gaming audience while making the tournament interesting for a wider circle of viewers. In season two, the custom challenges were designed to strengthen the bond within each couple and conveyed the idea behind a Beeline product that keeps you in touch with the people close to you whatever your balance. Viewers learned the participants’ stories from video profiles and live conversations, influenced matches by voting, took part in mini-games and could look for a partner through a special activity during the broadcast. Announcements on gaming portals, in communities and on streamers’ social media brought in participants and viewers. The final aired on the hosts’ Twitch channels and was simulcast on the project’s landing page and the casters’ channels, letting the audience join the tournament from different platforms.
Results
The number of participants grew more than sixfold: from 48 couples in the first season to 337 in the second. Over two seasons LOVE CUP delivered: 67.5 million impressions; 31.5 million reach; 200,000 visits to the landing page; 500,000 positive reactions. At its peak, the final broadcast was №1 in the Counter-Strike 2 category and №3 among all Russian streams on Twitch. More than 70% of the viewers surveyed rated the advertising format positively and said it builds trust in the brand. The project strengthened perceptions of Beeline: “sincere” +16 pp, “progressive” +11 pp, “for young people” +13 pp. Consideration of Beeline among tournament viewers rose by 18 pp in the first season and by 33 pp in the second. In a market where only 8% of the audience consider changing operator, and where the decision to switch takes time, a result like this is already a meaningful signal of future choice: engagement moved beyond reach and reactions into a readiness to consider the brand.
