We’re thrilled to announce that Bidstack, in partnership with Starcom Worldwide, has won the Campaign Media Award 2021 in the Fashion & Beauty category for our work with Paco Rabanne’s Invictus cologne.

The award recognises the campaign that made Invictus the first fragrance to create a sporting challenge in the metaverse, transforming how luxury beauty brands engage with younger, digitally native audiences.

Paco Rabanne wanted to launch Invictus in a way that would reach and resonate deeply with its audience. The objective was clear: make Invictus a fragrance synonymous with winning, success and self-belief, but not through traditional channels.

Together with Starcom, we crafted a strategy that tapped into competitive gameplay in sports simulation video games. The campaign appeared across 19 critically-acclaimed titles, including Football Manager 2020, Real Cricket 2020, Formula 1, Tennis Open 2021, and Dirt Five.

Rather than focus on real-world sports, we put Invictus into virtual stadiums, arenas and racing tracks. From perimeter boards lighting up when a team scored to finish gates taken over by Invictus branding, the campaign seamlessly merged product storytelling with the environmental experience.

And the results? Clear wins across the board:

• 24% of viewers said they were “likely” or “very likely” to purchase Invictus
• 38% viewed the fragrance as high-quality
• 23% reported increased brand trust

This campaign helped Paco Rabanne position Invictus for a younger audience—including women buying for partners or friends—and set a new benchmark for how brands can harness gaming to drive real-world impact.