Anzu Adds Nike’s Former Head of Brand Media Mike Cookson as Chief Strategy Officer

Mentioned in this article

• In-game advertising platform Anzu has hired former Head of Brand Media for Nike, Mike Cookson, as chief strategy officer.
• Cookson brings more than two decades of professional experience in media, content, and technology to the company.
• In August, Anzu raised a $6.5M USD Series A investment from strategic investors BITKRAFT Esports Ventures, WPP, and Axel Springer Digital Ventures.

Following a $6.5M Series A funding led by BITKRAFT Esports Ventures in August, in-game advertising platform Anzu has hired Mike Cookson as chief strategy officer (CSO). Cookson brings more than two decades of experience in media, content, and technology to the company.

Anzu offers a blended in-game advertising solution that integrates real-world brand ads into gameplay. The platform provides real-time data and programmatic capabilities to videogaming, helping with ad viewability and brand safety, making gaming accessible to marketers.

Anzu’s new CSO previously worked ten years for Nike Europe in Amsterdam from 2007 to 2018. In the last three years at Nike Europe, Cookson served as director, head of brand media Europe where he was responsible for Nike’s brand and digital advertising media across Europe. Furthermore, he served as a member of Nike’s European marketing board.

“Gaming and esports are truly coming of age, representing the next big opportunity for brands to connect with consumers through popular culture. Often misunderstood, the gamer audience is broad and rich, and if approached in the right way will open up new possibilities for brand communications. Anzu’s technology is a game-changer in this space enabling brands to dynamically connect to consumers through beautifully rendered formats all wrapped up with next-level tracking technology to give brands and studios confidence in a new ecosystem,” said Mike Cookson in a release. “I am thrilled to join such a passionate and expert team and look forward to helping transform the space alongside the dedicated founders and impressive investors.”

Backed by BITKRAFT Esports Ventures, WPP, and Axel Springer Digital Ventures, Anzu has forged strategic partnerships with key players in marketing and media as well as in gaming and esports.