This week’s episode is a different one: For our final show of 2025, Albane Prioux and Nic Hill press pause on the news cycle and pull together the big ideas that shaped a year of immersive marketing on Brands In Play. No guests, no real-time review, just a recap of the sharpest moments from 45 episodes.

From AR wearables moving into the mainstream (Snap Spectacles, Meta Ray-Bans) to the race between Roblox, Fortnite UEFN and Horizon to win creators and commerce, we trace how UGC platforms matured and why rewarded media, virtual economies and native dev partnerships are becoming non-negotiable.

We also revisit our guests’ best thinking on AI’s impact on creativity and production, and hold ourselves accountable by grading the predictions we made at the start of the year like Daft Punk in Fortnite and Roblox IP heading to Hollywood.

The Brands In Play 2025 Recap is now live on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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Nic Hill -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Albane Prioux -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/albaneprioux/
Edward Regue -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/
Dr. Giovanna Casimiro https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggcasimiro/

Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/

#brandsinplay  #2025recap 

This week on Brands In Play, Nic Hill and Albane Prioux sit down with Karl Stewart, SVP of Marketing & Head of the Imagine AI platform at IGN, to unpack how 30 years of gaming data is reshaping brand strategy: from Batman, Tomb Raider and Marvel to Roblox, Fortnite and Gen Alpha. 

In the news, Netflix moves to acquire Warner Bros. film, streaming and games business, immersive OOH billboards steal attention, Meta signs multi-year AI content licensing deals with major news publishers, and Roblox launches its own YouTube series?!

For our Real-Time Review, Albane jumps into Crocs Quest on Roblox! Digging into what the experience nails, where it wobbles, and what brands can learn from how it’s built.

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Albane Prioux -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/albaneprioux/
Edward Regue -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/
Dr. Giovanna Casimiro https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggcasimiro/

Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/

#brandsinplay  #ign

[NEW EPISODE ALERT] 

Episode 44 of Brands In Play Nic Hill and Albane Prioux are joined by Joe Condon, founder of SEG3, where we dig into how sports, entertainment, and gaming collide around next-gen fan experiences. Joe walks through why he built SEG3, how the conference connects IP owners, brands, and developers in the same room, and the three big trends he’s watching across UGC IP, licensing, and fandom-driven ecosystems going into 2026.

In the news this week: Samsung launches its new “Game Break” ad model for connected TVs, Epic introduces a new IP approach on Fortnite, Meta’s stock climbs on reports of major metaverse cuts, and Discord rolls out in-game commerce inside official game servers.

For our Real-Time Review, Nic heads to the SEG3 conference in Los Angeles, sharing takeaways from the show floor IRL!

Follow Joe Condon https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-condon/

Follow SEG3 https://www.linkedin.com/company/seg3/

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Nic Hill -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Albane Prioux -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/albaneprioux/
Edward Regue -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/
Dr. Giovanna Casimiro https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggcasimiro/

Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/

#brandsinplay #SEG3

[NEW EPISODE ALERT] 

This week on Brands In Play, Albane Prioux and Nic Hill unpack immersive holiday commerce in 2025. They cover everything from Target’s Alpine store makeovers and Walmart’s ambient-room shopping, to Amazon’s 3D “Beyond Rooms,” UGC gaming worlds and AI shopping assistants. We stress-test each one on whether it genuinely makes buying smarter and easier, or is it all gloss? Shop… or drop.

In the news, ChatGPT Goes Shopping, Adidas Enters Minecraft, Quentin Tarantino Reveals a Lost Kill Bill Chapter in Fortnite and Disney Plans a Live Animated NBA Game in Real Time.

And we wrap with a Real-Time Review of Formula 1’s new integration into Fortnite. So, how did one of the biggest sports in the world choose to enter Fortnite?

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Nic Hill -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Albane Prioux -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/albaneprioux/
Edward Regue -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/
Dr. Giovanna Casimiro https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggcasimiro/

Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/

#brandsinplay #deepdive 

[NEW EPISODE ALERT] 

This week on Brands In Play, Nic Hill and Albane Prioux sit down with Ron Friedman, VP of Mattel Future Lab. Ron outlines how Future Lab approaches innovation at scale: how Hot Wheels, Barbie, and Monster High are translated into digital environments without compromising brand integrity, and how data, creative instinct, collector behavior, and AI as “amplified imagination” come together inside their product strategy.

In the news, Unity partners with Epic Games, Amazon expands Roblox e-commerce through Amazon Anywhere, Bloomberg spotlights Roblox’s ad model challenges, and Tropicana targets gamers with a data-driven 78-minute behavioral insight.

And in our Real Time Review, we jump into Mattel’s new Monster High launches across Fortnite and Roblox.

This special segment includes short creator interviews with Steve Abeyta, Creative Director at Look North World, who built Paranormal Peril on Fortnite, and Patrick Petersen, Game Designer at Sawhorse, who breaks down the design thinking behind the Roblox experience.


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Mattel https://www.linkedin.com/company/mattel/

Ron Friedman  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-m-friedman/

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Nic Hill -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Albane Prioux -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/albaneprioux/
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Dr. Giovanna Casimiro https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggcasimiro/

Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/

#brandsinplay #mattel #monsterhigh 

[NEW EPISODE ALERT] 

This week on Brands In Play, Nic Hill and Albane Prioux sit down with Matt Kidd and Lex Alexander from GETREKT Labs. They've carved out a rare niche, building tools, formats, mini-games, and interactive overlays that help brands show up natively inside livestream gaming culture. We unpack how they think about creator freedom, audience participation, API-driven outcomes, and what publishers are doing behind the scenes to get more value out of sponsored streams.

In the news, Balenciaga drops couture-grade armour inside PUBG, QR Codes might become a thing of the past, Paramount revives The Running Man, and Netflix officially launches Netflix House.

And in our Real Time Review, we take you into Takis’ Summer of Intensity Campaign on Twitch, done by our friends at GETREKT Labs. Expect different games, different formats, interactive overlays, polls that shape the challenges, and a full look at how this campaign pulled the community into every moment.

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GETREKT https://www.linkedin.com/company/getrekt-labs/posts/?feedView=all
Matt Kidd  https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-kidd-live-stream-design/
Lex Alexander https://www.linkedin.com/in/lex-alexander-media-and-beards/

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Nic Hill -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Albane Prioux -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/albaneprioux/
Edward Regue -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/
Dr. Giovanna Casimiro https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggcasimiro/

Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/

#brandsinplay

[NEW EPISODE ALERT] 

This week on Brands In Play, Nic Hill and Albane Prioux sit down with Rick Hack, Founder of Empire House, an advisory company driving digital transformation and innovation in the Media & Ent industry.  From The Meg’s VFX breakthrough to virtual production, cloud studios, autonomous vehicles, and why human-made, empathy-driven stories will become a premium in an AI-saturated world.

In the news, Disneyland debuts on Fortnite • Walmart rolls out AI audio summaries for beauty products • New study shows in-game ads outperform traditional digital ads • Australia moves to ban social media for under-16s.

And in our Real Time Review, Nic jumps into ParaNorman Tower Defense on Roblox. Expect a great-looking experience with smart use of the tower-defense genre. 

Follow Rick Hack https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickhack/

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Nic Hill -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Albane Prioux -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/albaneprioux/
Edward Regue -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/

Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/

#brandsinplay  

[NEW EPISODE ALERT] 
This week on Brands In Play, Albane Prioux and Nic Hill sit down with Margot Rodde, Founder & CEO of Creators Corp. We unpack the crucial split between Fortnite BR and UEFN, and why studios are going platform agnostic. Margot argues platforms must “pick a lane” (ad platform vs. creator-first game platform), and makes the case for brands to work directly with specialized studios. 

In the news, eMarketer flags puzzle and shooter titles as the current sweet spot for mobile game ad opportunities, marketers are using Reddit as an AI-era SEO lever and the Roblox Q3 readout is punchy: DAU at ~151M with the biggest growth in 13+, and rising creator/safety spend signaling a long-term growth push over short-term profit.

And in our Real Time Review, Albane jumps into the The Simpsons x Fortnite takeover. Expect a Springfield map reskin, Battle Pass track, and Disney+ tie-ins. 

Follow Anne-Margot Rodde https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-margot-rodde/

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Nic Hill -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Albane Prioux -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/albaneprioux/
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Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/

#brandsinplay  #CreatosCorp  #fortnite  

[NEW EPISODE ALERT] 

This week on Brands In Play, we sit down with Ross Crump, founder of Ardent Social. Ross explains why “influencer” ≠ influence. From leading campaigns with the Sidemen and John Cena’s Overwatch 2 launch to founding Ardent, Ross breaks down why the real power lies in micro-communities and the creators who shape them not simply through influencers with massive followings.

In the news, ad spend climbs but impact drops according to Shutterstock’s Creative Impact Report. Toyota launches a ten-minute anime film, Bored Ape Yacht Club’s long-awaited Otherside world is finally here (maybe?), and Netflix posts record ad growth while testing AI-driven recommendations.

And in our Real Time Review, Nic checks out the Dallas Cowboys x Lenovo activation inside Fortnite, spanning multiple community maps, new in-game rewards, and a full AT&T Stadium recreation.


Follow Ross Crump https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-crump-87464168/

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Nic Hill -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Albane Prioux -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/albaneprioux/
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Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/

#brandsinplay  #ardent #fortnite 

[NEW EPISODE ALERT] 

This week on Brands In Play Dentsu’s Magali Huot (SVP, Global Gaming Strategy) joins Nic Hill and Albane Prioux to unpack how one of the world’s biggest agency networks is turning its motto “innovating to impact” into action inside gaming.

In the news, Walmart brings commerce to ChatGPT, WPP extends its Google AI partnership, McDonald’s revives Street Fighter II in Japan, and e.l.f. tests shoppable Twitch ads.

And in our Real Time Review, Albane takes us inside Sesame Street: Neighborhood Adventure on Roblox. Get ready for a high-fidelity build with fully voiced characters.

Follow Magali Huot https://www.linkedin.com/in/magalihuot/

Follow Dentsu https://www.linkedin.com/company/dentsu/posts/?feedView=all

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Nic Hill -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Albane Prioux -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/albaneprioux/
Edward Regue -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/

Website: https://www.brands-in-play.com/

#brandsinplay  #dentsu  #sesamestreet