Almarai Ditches TV for Fortnite in Saudi Arabia Gaming Push

Almarai, Saudi Arabia's largest dairy brand, has stopped buying TV spots and built a Fortnite island instead. The campaign, called Almarai Frontliners, is a custom branded experience inside one of the world's most-played games. It is not a banner. It is not a pre-roll. It is a playable world.

Saudi Arabia's Gaming Infrastructure

Saudi Arabia is not a typical gaming market. It is the world's second fastest-growing one, and the state is building it on purpose. The National Gaming and Esports Strategy (NGES), launched in 2022, targets US$13.3 billion in GDP contribution from gaming and esports by 2030, with 39,000 jobs and 250 gaming companies to match. The Public Investment Fund has taken stakes in Activision Blizzard, Nintendo, Electronic Arts, and Take-Two Interactive.

That infrastructure shapes consumer behavior. Saudi Arabia is home to 23.5 million gaming enthusiasts — 67% of the total population — and 61.4% of residents are under 35. When Almarai looked for where its customers spend their time, the answer was not a television channel.

The Almarai Frontliners Activation

The Almarai Frontliners island (code: 1190-1377-1871) was developed with Webedia Arabia handling strategy, campaign management, and ecosystem rollout, while DeuSens built the technical Fortnite experience. The channel selection was deliberate. Fortnite was chosen because 35% of Gen Z globally plays it, as does 21% of those aged 35 and older, providing cross-generational reach that few platforms offer. More notably, Fortnite is the most gender-balanced gaming franchise: 26% male engagement, 27% female, near parity.

Distribution followed the same logic: influencer livestream activations, Saudi Gamer (one of the region's leading gaming media publications, and a Webedia Arabia acquisition), Almarai's own social channels, and in-game discovery mechanisms. Webedia Arabia's dual role as campaign agency and Saudi Gamer owner closed the loop. The same company that runs the region's top gaming editorial platform built and amplified the branded experience.

Participation Metrics Replace Impressions

Success for Almarai Frontliners is not measured in reach or impressions. KPIs tracked game visits, unique players, average playtime, repeat visitation, and player retention, not visibility metrics. Livestream activity and creator-driven traffic are monitored separately. Brand health indicators, including top-of-mind awareness and brand associations, complete the picture.

That is a significant methodological departure for an FMCG brand. Traditional campaign measurement treats exposure as a proxy for impact. Almarai is now measuring whether people chose to return.

No Performance Numbers Published

Almarai has not published performance numbers. No visit counts, no player figures, no brand lift percentages. The campaign is being positioned around strategic intent, native presence, cultural relevance, and gaming as a primary channel, rather than demonstrated commercial outcomes.

For a heritage dairy brand with deep household penetration across Saudi Arabia and GCC, Fortnite brand health metrics are genuinely novel. The question is whether repeat playtime in a branded island translates into purchase consideration. On that, Almarai is staying quiet.

In-Game Advertising as Committed Strategy

The in-game advertising market is projected to grow from US$119.31 billion in 2025 to US$217.16 billion by 2031, according to Mordor Intelligence. On Fortnite and Roblox, average brand activations per company rose to 1.8 in 2025 from 1.4 in 2023, a signal that brands are committing to gaming platforms, not experimenting with them.

For Asian marcomms executives watching from the outside: Almarai's play is less about a single Fortnite island and more about who owns the channel. Webedia Arabia's SaudiGamer integration is the structural insight. The agency that controls gaming editorial controls the amplification stack. When brands move to native, that kind of media-plus-game ownership becomes a meaningful competitive advantage.