Achievement unlocked: Minotaur powers up Nestlé into the gaming arena
In an unprecedented Power Up move, Minotaur Philippines has taken its pioneering Gaming x Marketing principles and creative community-building from theory to full-throttle practice – this time, with giant brand Nestlé as its partner, at the recently concluded ADFEST.
What started as a powerful thought leadership conversation at the same festival last year has now evolved into a real-world, large-scale collaboration. Onstage at ADFEST’s much celebrated program, Minotaur’s Chief Creative Officer Rey Tiempo was joined by Nestlé’s AVP Creative Content Executive, Ace Ballesteros to unveil what’s next in this bold and previously uncharted alliance between one of the world’s best-loved brands and the gaming world.
The duo walked the audience through timely and vital gaming insights and statistics, proof points and some hard truths that every brand should be paying attention to in this age of gaming as the new social. More importantly, they shared the critical thinking that went behind the partnership: a strategic, values-driven collaboration anchored firmly on the Gaming x Marketing principles and authentic community-building that Minotaur has championed from the start.
“This isn’t just dipping a toe in gaming,” said Ballesteros. “It’s a deliberate move to meet audiences where they truly are, inside experiences that matter to them. Just like the thrill of unlocking a new level in a game, our session revealed a powerful new dimension for gaming in marketing. Hopefully, the innovative activities that Nestlé and Minotaur are cooking up will power enough excitement to get more marketers to play and experiment with the way they develop content. This achievement underscores the transformative potential of a strong client-agency partnership, proving how gaming can truly level up the communications landscape.”
Tiempo and Ballesteros capped off the session with a much-awaited exclusive first look at something never before seen in public – a fittingly labeled “sizzle reel” for an ambitious project that the teams have been cooking up exclusively for Maggi, the brand’s official entry into the gaming space.
“Authenticity is everything in this world,” said Tiempo. “And this project is about bringing people together in a way that’s true to both the Maggi brand and the gaming communities it aims to engage. Brand building is key to what Minotaur brings to the table. The gaming audience is notoriously difficult to please – it takes genuine care and a deep understanding of gamer behavior to arrive at a gamification strategy that still stays true to the brand’s core. That’s at the heart of our Brand Gamification approach. There’s no amount of ‘fake it till you make it’ in this space – because gamers will smell you from a mile away. We are just blessed that we have found authentic co-op players in Ace’s team who are true believers of Brand Gamification.”
“Minotaur opens up opportunities to create playgrounds. This collaboration is an invitation, signaling a bold, new era for brands stepping into authentic community building—not as outsiders, but as true participants and co-creators in culture and creativity,” said Jamie Paraso, CEO of Minotaur.
