Jonas Martensson has been the general manager of Cleeks Golf Club since September 2024. However, before he accepted the position for LIV Golf, the 47-year-old was the CEO of Mojang Studios, the video game developer behind the incredibly popular game Minecraft.
Minecraft started as a video game but grew into a cultural phenomenon. In 2014, Microsoft purchased Minecraft for $2.5 billion.
According to Windows Central, Minecraft has sold over 300 million copies worldwide as of October 2023, making it the second highest-grossing video game of all time. Minecraft has since made movies and educational programs, making it one of the most recognizable brands in the world.
After a remarkably successful run with Minecraft (which has a new movie releasing in April), Martensson now has his eyes set on a new passion project in rebranding a golf team.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Martensson explained how he went from the gaming world to the world of professional golf.
"It was the exciting opportunity. I'd been with Minecraft for, for a bit over 10 years at the time and I'm a huge golf fan and golf nerd and have played golf since I was 12. So, I've been following golf and, obviously as a fan and a player, but when Liv came about, the dynamic changed quite a lot," Martensson said.
"I saw a great opportunity with my background that I could actually be part of changing golf forever and team golf was exciting for me."
Cleeks Golf Club is captained by Martin Kaymer and rosters Richard Bland, Adrian Meronk and their newest addition, Frederik Kjetterup.
Jonas felt as though Kjetterup was a fit for the team both on and off the golf course.
"Even though he's a modern player, he still has that kind of aura around him of classical golf. He has the golf and manners that we believe in and that's the part of golf that we really want to cherish," Martensson said. "You'll see more in interviews and so forth and he's just an honest, super nice guy, which we believe is going to be a big part of our success going forward."
The team brought on Martensson to help shape the future of the team, but also to bring in a unique perspective to what the Cleeks Golf Club brand can become. The Swede is attempting to bridge the gap between golf, fashion, art, and culture.
The first step for Martensson was to generate a new logo, that not only will serve as the team logo, but the beginnings of a clothing line.
Martensson and Cleeks Golf Club are beginning a unique campaign to collaborate with designers to help shape the brand's identity. The first collaboration is with Martin Key, the Swedish fashion designer renowned for his exclusive, tailor-made leather garments, and includes a luxury weekend bag.
Martensson acknowledged that while he believes he can build a brand with Cleeks Golf Club, it will probably take some time.
"To me, building a brand obviously takes some time and it takes a great plan of sticking to what you believe in. The foundation and what we build now is a new visual identity, but to me the more important part is what the brand stands for and if people can relate to it," he said.
The new-look Cleeks and the rest of LIV Golf will kick off the season Feb. 6-8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in a night tournament.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Former Minecraft CEO Rebrands LIV Golf Team.
