Podcast
Brands In Play
Welcome to Brands in Play - The podcast where we explore immersive marketing and the people who are leading it.
- Episodes
- 100
- Releases
- Twice a week
- Typical length
- 33 min
- On air since
- 2025
- Latest episode
- 1 day ago
Episodes
100 episodes, newest first
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39 min
GTA’s Fake Brands Are Getting Real | EP100
Season 1, Episode 100
Show notes
For episode 100, getting to the recording was half the battle.
Matt’s in Skyrim with Kallax, Nic’s trying to survive Fortnite, and Edward’s losing the cops in GTA. We’ve made an AI-generated intro sequence and a special trailer to mark the occasion. This one deserves the big screen.
Nic Hill and Matt Daly are back with GTA’s fictional restaurants serving real customers, Wendy’s building an RPG for Steam, and NFL sponsors bringing their stadium signage into Madden. Nic also takes us inside Monster’s Call of Duty event at Cosm, where plenty of the action happened away from the giant screen.
There’s MrBeast Lab and Adventure Time on Roblox, One Piece bringing the Straw Hats to Fortnite, Discord’s Wumpus finding a home in Rust, and the usual healthy amount of getting sidetracked.
To everyone who’s watched, listened, shared an episode or joined us as a guest: thank you. You’ve helped us build something we’re proud of. Here’s to the next 100.
Watch or listen to the full conversation on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Podcasts.
#brandsinplay #discord #steam #brandpartnerships #kallax
Follow Us:Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/Head of Post Production
Adam Kreiner - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-kreiner-a14107274/Trailer:
Editor
Joana Pinto - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joana-margarida-pinto/Script Writer
Lexi McCain - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexi-mccain-3208992a7/Ai Intro:
Editor
Joana Pinto - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joana-margarida-pinto/#brandsinplay
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32 min
Pubity Group: Memes, Marketing and 170 Million Followers
Season 1, Episode 99
Show notes
Paramount’s brief for Scary Movie 6: “unapologetically inappropriate.”
Pubity’s answer? A glass hotbox in Times Square, with Ghostface and the returning cast inside. The campaign generated more than 66 million views across Pubity’s own channels.This week on Brands In Play, Myles Chilvers and Nina Kammer from London-based social media publisher Pubity Group join Nic Hill and Matt Daly to break down the stunt, from spoofing Severance’s glass-box activation to securing last-minute permits.
They explain how they planned the headlines, memes and camera shots before production began, and why knowing what people will send to their friends shapes the entire idea.
Watch or listen to the full episode.Watch or listen to Episode 99 of Brands In Play.
Follow Nina Kammer - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninakammer/
Myles Chilvers - https://www.linkedin.com/in/myles-chilvers/
Follow Pubity Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pubity/home/
Follow Us:
Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/#brandsinplay
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37 min
LEGO PlayStation, Ali G in Fortnite & Best Buy’s Gaming Bet | EP98
Season 1, Episode 98
Show notes
This week, Nic and Matt are talking about LEGO and PlayStation recreating a ’90s bedroom, Call of Duty letting Twitch viewers help solve missions in the real world, and Netflix and Walmart bringing Mattel, Colgate and Nongshim into a KPop Demon Hunters night market. Each partner has something to contribute, which makes a difference when you’re asking fans to spend time there.
Best Buy is teaming up with IGN to give gamers something to come back for between hardware purchases. Domino’s is tying Minecraft rewards to pizza orders, Ali G turning up in Fortnite, and e.l.f. bringing avatar styling to ZEPETO.
Plus, Discord and Netflix’s latest advertising updates, and whether Iron Man himself can change how people see Snap’s smart glasses!
Watch or listen to the full conversation on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Podcasts.
#brandsinplay #lego #ign #brandpartnerships #twitch
Follow Us:
Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/#brandsinplay
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23 min
Inside Dataland: AI Art, L’Oréal’s Scent Tech And Immersive Worlds
Season 1, Episode 97
Show notes
Would you go to an AI art museum powered by a Large Nature Model (LNM)?
We did! This week, Nic brings Matt along for a room-by-room account of his visit to DATALAND in LA. We cover L'Oréal's scent collars, an immersive rainforest, and a massive robot arm painting a masterpiece inspired by biometric visitor data!
For anyone building immersive brand experiences, the question worth asking is: how do you make participation feel meaningful? DATALAND is pushing the envelope on that right now.
Also, Brands In Play won Gold and Listener's Choice in the Creativity & Marketing category at the Signal Awards. To everyone who voted, listened, and helped us make this show each week: thank you!
Follow Us:
Host:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/Guest Host:
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/#brandsinplay #dataland
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37 min
Xbox XP, Ghostbusters x Rivian & Street Fighter Takes Over Times Square | Ep. 96
Season 1, Episode 96
Show notes
Gaming IP is showing up in some pretty unexpected places this week, and brands are getting creative with how they use it.
This week on the news, Nic and Matt kick off the week with Xbox building XP to push its franchises further into entertainment, merch, live experiences and brand partnerships. Rivian turned Ghostbusters into an in-car Halloween activation. Street Fighter took over Times Square.
Balenciaga made VALORANT’s Viper its first digital ambassador. And Samsung is bringing Roblox experiences into the real world. We also spend some time on the AI side of game development, with Google, Epic and Xbox all making moves, and then the NBA’s Miami Heat’s collaboration with the new GTA6 brings Vice City to the stadium. Matt created his own NBA x gaming crossovers for Nic to react to.
A lot packed into this one, but that’s the thread running through all of it: This is where culture is forming, and the smartest marketers know it. Another week of gaming, brands and some pretty wild creative ideas.
Watch or listen to the full conversation on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Podcasts.
#brandsinplay #xbox #ghostbusters #rivian #streetfighter #brandpartnerships
Follow Us:
Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/#brandsinplay
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23 min
Sound Is Survival: JBL's Gaming Strategy
Season 1, Episode 95
Show notes
If there's one thing gamers hate, it's having their game interrupted by an ad. And when you're a brand trying to reach that audience, getting it wrong can do more harm than good.
This week, Nic Hill and Matt Daly sit down with Bryce Showalter, who leads gaming at JBL and knows both sides of the conversation, having spent years as a professional gamer and streamer himself.
We talk about how JBL is building its place in gaming through e-sports, Fortnite, Roblox, Overwolf and partnerships with creators like Clix. Bryce also makes a pretty interesting argument for why creators are becoming more valuable to brands than traditional esports sponsorships.There's a lot here about earning credibility with gamers, knowing when advertising becomes an interruption, and why having someone who understands gaming making decisions inside a brand can change everything.
And of course, when you're JBL, there's one advantage you can build a whole strategy around: Sound Is Survival.
One last thing!
Today and tomorrow are the last days to vote for Brands In Play in the Signal Listener's Choice Award, where we're nominated in the Creativity & Marketing category!
We're incredibly grateful to everyone who's supported the show and helped us get this far. If you've enjoyed listening to Nic and Matt, we'd really appreciate one last push!
Voting closes October 15.
Vote for Brands In Play: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/shows/genre/creativity-marketing
Watch or listen to Episode 95 of Brands In Play.
Follow Bryce Showalter - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryceshowalter/
Follow Harman International - https://www.linkedin.com/company/harman-international/home/
Follow Us:
Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/
#brandsinplay
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38 min
Paramount x Warner Bros., Dune in Fortnite & the Halloween IP Takeover | EP94
Season 1, Episode 94
Show notes
This week, Nic Hill and Matt Daly have a lot to unpack.
Paramount and Warner Bros. are coming together under one roof, bringing some of entertainment's biggest franchises into the same conversation.Matt also takes us through his firsthand experience with Dune: Awakening's integration into Fortnite, while Fortnitemares is bringing another massive lineup of horror IP into the platform.
Elsewhere, KFC is turning its biggest fans into game show contestants, Reese's and Zillow are getting competitive over Halloween, Abarth is driving into Gangstar Vegas, and Volvo brought a rainforest to the Outernet in London. We also revisit Fanta's controversial AI campaign and the growing privacy debate around Meta's Muse and OpenAI's Dots.
One last thing! This is the final week to vote for Brands In Play in the Signal Listener's Choice Award, where we're nominated in the Creativity & Marketing category.
We're incredibly grateful for everyone who's supported the show so far. If you've enjoyed listening to Nic and Matt each week, we'd really appreciate your vote!
Voting closes October 15. Link in the comments.
Watch or listen to the full conversation on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Podcasts.
Watch or listen to Episode 94 of Brands In Play.
#ImmersiveMarketing #duneawakening #kfc #fortnitemares #dots
Follow Us:
Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/
#brandsinplay
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25 min
Mattel Is Playing the Long Game With Barbie, Roblox and Gaming
Season 1, Episode 93
Show notes
Mattel has some of the biggest IP in the world. Now it’s getting much more serious about building games around it.
Nic Hill and Matt Daly sit down with Sean Thompson, VP of Mattel Game Studios, to talk about the launch of Barbie DreamStyle on Roblox and the thinking behind Mattel’s broader gaming strategy.
Sean breaks down why Barbie can support multiple Roblox experiences at once, what Mattel has learned about building for UGC platforms, and why success on Roblox means playing the long game rather than betting everything on launch week.
They also get into brand safety, building for the audience already on the platform, Mattel Game Studios’ approach to publishing, and how IP like Barbie can move between generations without losing what makes it Barbie.
And ALSO - Brands In Play is a Finalist in the 5th Annual Signal Awards in the Creativity & Marketing category, and we’re up for the Listener’s Choice Award.
If you’ve been watching or listening to the show, we’d really appreciate your vote. Voting is open through October 15, and every vote counts.
Vote for Brands In Play: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/shows/genre/creativity-marketing
A really good conversation about what happens when a major IP owner starts thinking like a games publisher.
Watch or listen to Episode 93 of Brands In Play.
Follow Sean Thompson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-thompson-ca77/
Follow Mattel.Inc - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mattel/posts/?feedView=all
Follow Us:
Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/
#brandsinplay
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28 min
Minecraft Opens Up, GTA VI Spills Into Roblox & OpenAI Goes Mainstream | EP92
Season 1, Episode 92
Show notes
Brands In Play is a finalist in the 5th Annual Signal Awards in Creativity & Marketing, and we’re also up for Listener’s Choice award. We need your vote. Please cast a vote for us before October 1! https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/shows/genre/creativity-marketing
This week, Minecraft has been one of the biggest creator platforms in gaming for years, but Mojang and Microsoft have never made it as easy for brands to play there as Roblox or Fortnite. That door now looks like it’s starting to crack open.
Nic Hill and Matt Daly also talk Rockstar Games turning GTA VI into a full entertainment release, the spillover into Roblox, Best Buy building a media business around its stores and customer data, Crunchyroll and Venum putting Jujutsu Kaisen on real fighting gear, Vogue and Unitree Robotics sending humanoid robots down the runway, and OpenAI making a very deliberate shift toward normal, everyday use cases.
Watch or listen to the full conversation on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Podcasts.
Watch or listen to Episode 92 of Brands In Play.
#ImmersiveMarketing #vogue #GTA6 #minecraft #brandintegrations #jujutsukaisen
Follow Us:
Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/
#brandsinplay
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22 min
How Virgin Music Builds Artist Fandom Through Gaming & Immersive Experiences
Season 1, Episode 91
Show notes
Artists are starting to face a lot of the same questions brands are.
Where are your fans spending their time? How do you show up there without forcing it? And what can you give them value that goes beyond just another piece of content?Nic sat down with Connor Hachey, SVP of Global Digital Strategy at Virgin Music Group, and got into how his team is figuring that out across gaming and immersive experiences.
There are some great examples in this one. Joji turned an album release into a robot cage fight. ZEROBASEONE went into Rec Room, interacted with fans and drove more than 15,000 new U.S. Spotify followers. And sometimes Virgin finds the opportunity by looking at what fans are already making around an artist on platforms like Roblox.
Check out Connor’s point about experimentation. There isn't always a benchmark for this stuff. Sometimes you have to understand the artist, understand the audience and take the swing.
Because the platforms will keep changing. The harder question is knowing where your audience is going next and what they’ll want from you when they get there.
Watch or listen to Episode 91 of Brands In Play.
Follow Connor Hachey - https://www.linkedin.com/in/connorhachey/
Follow Virgin Music Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/virginmusic/
Follow Us:
Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/
#brandsinplay
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34 min
GTA 6 Sets the Rules, Pikachu Goes to Space | Ep. 90
Season 1, Episode 90
Show notes
Rockstar has started drawing the boundaries around its creator ecosystem, including restrictions on advertising, product placement and sponsored content inside mods specifically. Nic and Matt get into why Rockstar might be keeping such a tight grip on this from the start, and whether those walls eventually come down.
Elsewhere, Pokémon has somehow made it to outer space. Apex Legends is taking a very different approach to IP integration with Street Fighter 6, going beyond product placement to actually changing the way the game is played.
Toys “R” Us is opening 120 new US stores while experimenting with creator studios And Oprah is taking AHA to the Sphere in Las Vegas?!
GTA 6, Pokémon in space, Street Fighter inside Apex, the return of Toys “R” Us and Oprah at Sphere. Also Nic’s quick report from Meta Connect 2026! A weird week, but a good one!
Watch or listen to Episode 88 of Brands In Play.
#ImmersiveMarketing #GamingMarketing #GTA6 #BrandIntegrations
Follow Us:
Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/
#brandsinplay
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23 min
Gaming Marketing Needs to Get Boring | IAB & GamesBeat Insider Recap
Season 1, Episode 89
Show notes
Matt spent the week in New York at the IAB PlayFronts and GamesBeat ‘Brands & Games’ event, and one idea kept coming up: gaming marketing needs to get more boring. Not boring creatively. Boring in the way media teams understand it. Clear objectives, real measurement and an answer when someone asks, “What’s my ROI?”
Nic and Matt break down why gaming still gets stuck in the innovation bucket, why “the gaming audience” is probably the wrong way for brands to think about players, and why reaching someone through ‘Call of Duty’ should be treated like reaching them through any other media channel.
They also get into GTA VI, Rockstar’s tight control over Vice City, and whether the more interesting opportunity for brands could eventually sit on the UGC side instead.
Plus, Matt asks people at IAB one question: what’s the most valuable thing to measure in game marketing?
Thanks to everyone who rocked the mic and gave valuable insights:
Andrew Martinson - Media and Strategy H&R Block
Michael Arzt - Experience Center Director at IAB
Jean-Baptiste Godinot - Executive Vice President, Gameloft for brands
Olivier Moingeon - Co-Founder & CEO Exclusible
Bryce Showalter - Head of Gaming JBL Professional
Matt Sharpe - Creative Director, Advertising Zynga
Shahar Sorek - CMO Overwolf
Follow Us:
Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/
#brandsinplay #iab #gamesbeat
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33 min
IKEA Found The Perfect Way Into Skyrim, Netflix and Sega Partnership | Ep. 88
Season 1, Episode 88
Show notes
In Episode 88 of Brands In Play IKEA put a walking, talking KALLAX shelf inside Skyrim and somehow it makes perfect sense.
Nic Hill and Matt Daly get into how Candy Crush is using Shania Twain and Zedd and the very different ways Fortnite and Roblox approach IP on their platforms.
They also cover Duolingo’s Fashion Week stunt, SEGA’s new film adaptation with Netflix, and Nic’s biggest takeaways from the Roblox Developer Conference 2026.
Brands keep finding new ways to get people to participate in their stories. What’s next?
Watch or listen to Episode 88 of Brands In Play.
Follow Us:
Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/
#ImmersiveMarketing #GamingMarketing #brandpartnerships
#brandsinplay
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20 min
Roblox Is Betting on Better Games and Smarter Discovery | Roblox Chief Growth Officer | RDC 26
Season 1, Episode 87
Show notes
“The algorithm doesn’t make or break a game. The game makes or breaks the game.”
At RDC, Nic Hill sat down with John Ciancutti, Chief Growth Officer at Roblox, for a conversation about one of the hardest problems on the platform: helping the right game find the right player.
John explains why Roblox has moved away from optimizing discovery around short-term signals and toward what it calls “lasting value.” In simple terms, the platform wants to reward games people return to, spend time in, share with friends and choose to spend money on. John explains that this is much better than encouraging developers to chase the latest algorithm trick.
That becomes especially important as Roblox pushes further into adult gaming. John sees deeper games and an expanding older audience feeding into each other: better content brings in different players, and a broader player base gives creators a reason to build more sophisticated games.
But showing up does not automatically mean building another branded world. Roblox is built around communities already playing, creating and sharing together. John points to Bruno Mars entering an existing Roblox game as a more interesting model for how brands and talent can participate.
As John puts it: “Roblox, it’s not a place where culture is consumed. It’s a place where culture is created.”
Watch or listen to the full conversation on Brands In Play.
#rdc2026 #roblox #brandstrategy #growthstrategy
Follow John Ciancutti - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jciancutti/
Follow Roblox - https://www.linkedin.com/company/roblox/posts/?feedView=all
Follow Us:
Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/
#brandsinplay
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32 min
McDonald’s Butcher Shop, WWE x Clash of Clans & e.l.f. AI | Ep. 86
Season 1, Episode 86
Show notes
Episode 86 of Brands In Play covers another busy week of brands experimenting with gaming, IRL experiences and new ways to reach audiences.
McDonald’s opens an immersive butcher shop in London to challenge perceptions around its food. WWE returns to Clash of Clans with a new campaign built around finding John Cena’s hidden base, while Dr. Squatch is putting $1 million into a nine-week audience challenge in partnership with creator IShowSpeed.
Nic Hill and Matt Daly also discuss e.l.f. and Levi’s push into state fairs. We then do a double take on e.l.f.’s venture into AI styling with fashion and virtual closet app Alta. The NFL partners with Nex Playground to introduce younger players to flag football, while new research looks at whether in-game advertising makes brands more relevant to gamers.
Brands keep finding new ways to get people to participate in their stories. What’s next?Watch or listen to Episode 86 of Brands In Play.
Follow Us:
Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/
#ImmersiveMarketing #GamingMarketing #brandpartnerships
#brandsinplay
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24 min
In-Game Advertising Made Easier for Brands with Canva & Livewire
Season 1, Episode 85
Show notes
You already use Canva to make ads. What if you could run them inside games from the same place?
In Episode 85 of Brands In Play, Livewire’s Indy Khabra explains how its Canva integration lets marketers choose an audience, set a budget and launch ads across mobile games.
The conversation covers targeting, brand safety and measurement, plus Indy’s argument for making gaming part of the everyday media plan. What does it take for brands to get comfortable spending there?
Watch or listen to the full episode, and subscribe for more Brands In Play.
#canva #livewire #brandstrategy
Follow Indy Khabra - https://www.linkedin.com/in/indykhabra/
Follow Livewire - https://www.linkedin.com/company/livewiregroupintl/posts/?feedView=all
Follow Us:
Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/
#brandsinplay
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43 min
7-Eleven in Forza, Red Bull in EA Sports FC & Pikachu!
Season 1, Episode 84
Show notes
Episode 84 of Brands In Play features Red Bull’s Wings Cup, bringing EA Sports FC players into real-world football challenges. 7-Eleven teams up with Forza Horizon 6, while The Doux puts textured hair and self-expression at the center of its Roblox salon game.
Nic Hill and Matt Daly also discuss Street Fighter’s playable YouTube trailer, Baskin-Robbins’ Genshin Impact collaboration, and a Rick and Morty-inspired AI stream that raises questions about control over IP.
Watch or listen to the full episode, and subscribe for more Brands In Play.
Follow Us:
Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/
#ImmersiveMarketing #GamingMarketing #brandpartnerships #redbull #7eleven #thedoux #forzahorizon6 #easportsfc #roblox
#brandsinplay
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27 min
Turning Black Mirror Into a Real-World Experience
Season 1, Episode 83
Show notes
Episode 83 of Brands In Play features Joshua Rubin, writer of the Black Mirror Experience, on turning the series into a world you can walk into.
Joshua joins Matt Daly to explain how the team preserved Black Mirror’s unsettling tone, made the VR headset part of the story, and used AI to give visitors an experience that gets personal.
For brands building their own immersive experiences, there’s plenty to take away: choosing technology that fits, earning an IP owner’s trust, and giving people a reason to care once they’re through the door.
#BrandsInPlay #blackmirror #ImmersiveMarketing #experientialmarketing #brandexperience #virtualreality #interactivestorytelling
Follow Joshua Rubin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuarubinwriter/
Follow Subverse Narrative Consulting -
https://www.linkedin.com/company/subverse-narrative-consulting/Follow Us:
Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/
#brandsinplay
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39 min
Subway, McDonald’s, Adidas & the Rise of IRL Brand Worlds
Season 1, Episode 82
Show notes
Episode 82 of Brands In Play features Nic Hill and Matt Daly covering a busy week of brands telling stories through gaming and IRL experiences, along with major interactive platform updates. Subway is giving ARC Raiders players in-game loot with qualifying meals. Adidas enters Toca Boca World with free sports items aimed at encouraging confidence, while DAISE brings its blind-box collecting mechanic from Roblox to Walmart.
Across platforms Roblox faces another child-safety test in Australia, TikTok reportedly allowed paid advertisements selling illegal drugs through its own ad system, and Meta agrees to major product restrictions designed to protect younger users.
Outside of gaming, Poppi turned their New York billboard into a peel-and-win situation with a product reveal. Then we get right back into it with Discord moving its Quests product deeper into gameplay with PlayQuest+, rewarding players for completing specific actions inside the games they play. McDonald’s brings food inspired by XBOX IP Fallout 76, Halo, Forza Horizon 6, Overwatch, World of Warcraft and Candy Crush onto its UK and Ireland menus, alongside Xbox rewards.
The IRL section looks at Gorillaz, Clash of Clans, Peaky Blinders and Jumanji extending their worlds into physical experiences, while brands like Takis and Crocs built an experience from no established entertainment world.
Finally, Fanta introduces its own AI-created Halloween characters, Lacoste turns its crocodile into the star of a series of animated shorts, and Gap continues building its “fashiontainment” operation with former Walmart executive and past Brands In Play guest Justin Breton.
A lot happened. We have opinions.
#brandsinplay #marketing #ImmersiveMarketing #brandactivations #experientialmarketing #arcraiders #xbox #tocabocaworld #roblox
Follow Us:
Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/
#brandsinplay
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25 min
Roblox Invades Fortnite, Netflix Pulls Back and Battlefield Gets Top Gun
Season 1, Episode 81
Show notes
In Episode 81: Mattel is building a game studio, Netflix is closing two, Sony launches a glossy PS5 campaign and the comments turn it into a protest over physical game discs. A viral hit born on Roblox gets officially licensed into Fortnite. Then Battlefield adds Top Gun and, against all odds, its players are actually into it.
Nic Hill and Matt Daly get into the common thread: gaming companies want more mileage from IP, but the audience still decides what belongs. When an integration respects the game, players accept it.
When it doesn’t, the comments section takes over the campaign.#BrandsInPlay #GamingNews #ImmersiveMarketing #fortnitefunny #Roblox #Battlefield6 #TopGun #Mattel #NetflixGames #PlayStation
Follow Us:
Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Matt Daly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalymatt/Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/
#brandsinplay
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