The hype around eSports’ impending entry into the global zeitgeist has already led the likes of Burger King, Gillette and Coca-Cola investing marketing spend into the adolescent industry by way of events, campaigns and partnerships.

Now its allure has finally pricked the ears of consumer goods marketers – mattress brand Casper, a name one might not associate with gaming, has forged a relationship with Fnatic, one of the largest eSports teams in the world.

Casper is one of a handful of mattress brands to have sprung up in the last five years as an ecommerce driven, direct-to-consumer alternative to the anonymous labels carried by the likes of Dreams and Warren Evans. It was founded three years ago in New York and is now a global business promising a meticulously ergonomic product, free delivery and a free 100-night trial.

The link between Casper and Fnatic, one of the biggest names in eSports, is logical, if slightly tenuous.

“Esports is a category which, like us, is very, very young,” said Constantin Eis, co-founder and European managing director. “Gamers and eSports professionals play for up to 20 hours a day and need to get a good night’s sleep to concentrate. Therefore it fits perfectly to us."

The relationship kicked off at a party last week in London at Fnatic’s spacious London offices. The event was open to the public and allowed gamers to test out Casper mattresses while gaming (a mini Casper-decked out bedroom has now been set up permanently in the space for hardcore eSports gamers to sleep in between tournaments) and was supported by an educational Sleep Tips For Gamers campaign.