Brands In Play

[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

Follow Us:

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 

This week on Brands In Play, James Reevell, New Media and Gaming Consultant (and former Executive Editor for Youth Audiences at the BBC), joins Albane Prioux and Nic Hill to discuss how broadcasters are adapting to new platforms. James also shares how the BBC brought its iconic IPs into gaming worlds and why Gen Alpha’s media habits demand new forms of storytelling.

In the news, brands are making their own anime with Duolingo and Gap launching original animated content, Netflix adds a party games mode, Meta’s smart glasses become Disney tour guides, and CMOs at Adweek reveal how entertainment-first content has had an impact on marketing.

And in our Real Time Review, Nic takes us inside the Gabby’s Dollhouse immersive experience at CAMP! A Story-driven world where kids bring the Netflix hit to life, proving that even the youngest fans crave IRL extensions of their favorite IPs.

Follow James Reevell https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-reevell-04067260/

Follow Us:

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  

This week on Brands In Play, Albane Prioux and Nic Hill sit down with Christian Lau, Chief Technology Officer at Los Angeles Football Club. Christian takes us inside LAFC’s tech playbook, from autonomous retail and face-based ticketing for faster beer pours, to a full network overhaul ensuring fans can stream, share, and connect without friction. He also breaks down why gaming activations only work when teams commit to maintaining them and when resources truly match ambition.

In the news, Fortnite launches K-Pop Demon Hunter with lightning speed. Meta, OpenAI, and Google DeepMind debut Gen-AI social apps across Vibes, Sora, and YouTube Shorts. Netflix reopens its gaming ambitions with an interesting job posting. And Meta doubles down on automating the advertising industry with new Business AI and Advantage+ tools.

Finally, in our Real Time Review, The Great British Bake Off comes to Roblox! A perfectly replicated tent, chaotic mini-games, and a tidy voting loop.
Watch the full episode  [Link In Comments]

Follow Christian Lau https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianlau/

Follow LAFC https://www.linkedin.com/company/los-angeles-football-club/posts/?feedView=all

Follow Us:

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  #lafc  

On Episode 34 of Brands In Play, Nic and Albane are joined by Matt Edelman, CEO of Super League. Drawing on decades of experience at Marvel, Endeavor, and Super League’s own NASDAQ journey, Matt breaks down the rise of playable media, why brands need to understand the “state of play,” and what it will take for immersive activations to shift from experimental budgets into the core media mix.

News headlines this week: Fortnite x Daft Punk • AI companies turning to traditional advertising • EA accepts $55B private buyout • Meta Labs retail expansion

Real-Time Review: LEGO’s Expedition Antarctica activation on Roblox. We talk seamless integration, sharp brand alignment, and key lessons in attribution.

Follow Matt Edelman https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattedelman/

Follow Super League https://www.linkedin.com/company/superleagueenterprise/posts/?feedView=all

Follow Us:

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/

#brandsinplay #superleague #roblox #lego

This week on Brands In Play, Nic Hill and Albane Prioux sit down with Brendan Stock, CEO and Co-Founder of Chartis, one of the top UEFN creator networks. Brendan shares how his team helps creators scale from hobbyists to professionals, why brands should think twice before building their own island, and what really makes Fortnite a premium platform for marketers.

In the news, Fortnite fires back at Roblox with a huge update. Creators can now sell items directly inside their own islands (keeping 100% of revenue through 2026), plus sponsored tiles for discovery and new community tools. We also cover Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy IP heading to Netflix, The Conjuring’s holographic OOH ads, and Amazon x Netflix’s surprise advertising alliance.

And in our Real Time Review, we take you inside Meta Connect, where Meta laid out its Horizon roadmap, new glasses, and bold AI experiments.

Follow Us:

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/

#brandsinplay #meta  #fortnite #uefn  

This week Albane Prioux and Nic Hill break down the latest in immersive marketing, from Meta’s push into AI-powered smart glasses to Kai Cenat’s Fortnite takeover, Nintendo’s unexpected Virtual Boy revival, and Guinness stepping into Netflix with House of Guinness.

The Real Time Review puts Crocs’ branded Roblox world under the microscope, where scavenger hunts, Jibbitz charms, and player surveys blur product marketing with gameplay.

And in our Deep Dive: LEGO’s entertainment empire. From Star Wars sets saving the company to billion-dollar bets with Epic Games, we unpack how the Danish brickmaker became a master of transmedia strategy across film, streaming, and UGC gaming.

Follow Us:

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/

#brandsinplay  #lego

Back from RDC with the stories you can’t miss. In episode 31 of Brands In Play, Nic and Albane discuss what stood out in the room. DevEx rates finally shifted, Roblox’s engine upgrades edging toward AAA, the Kodansha licensing deal, native avatar makeup, and “Moments,” the new in-game social feed that could redefine discovery. 

Albane puts Moments under the microscope with a sharp real-time review: what excites, what’s missing, and where creators still need support.

And the highlight, our live RDC interview with Roblox VP of Product, Ads & Commerce, Louqman Parampath. Hear firsthand how Roblox is rolling out immersive ads and balancing safety and monetization. 

Plus, Hollywood sets its sights on games with Life Is Strange Series and Call of Duty Movie, and lastly, Creator Games lines up investment for 200 Roblox titles over three years.

Tune in now, join the conversation, and tell us what RDC update caught your eye.
Watch the full episode  and hit follow on Brands in Play for weekly insights.

Follow Louqman Parampath
https://www.linkedin.com/in/louqman-parampath-2188a8/

Follow Us:

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/

#brandsinplay  #rdc  #roblox #robloxdevelopers 

In Episode 30 of Brands In Play Colton Dunn pulls no punches. The Superstore star and longtime gamer joins Nic Hill and Albane Prioux to swap stories from Halo nights to Ninja Turtle skins, and to share his take on how brands fit, or don’t in the games we play.

This week’s news spans Balenciaga’s return to Fortnite, Activision turning to Giphy for Call of Duty, “Steal a Brain Rot” breaking records on Fortnite, and SpongeBob opening its IP to UEFN creators.

Finally, we have Colton stepping into our Real Time Review to test AirAsia’s Roblox world firsthand before finishing with Albane’s hit, miss and bet! Do not miss it!

Watch the full episode 

And hit follow on Brands in Play for weekly insights

Follow Us:

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/

#brandsinplay  #ColtonDunn 

Albane Prioux is on vacation this week, so Lee Kebler (TechMagic Podcast) jumps in as co-host to join Nic Hill on Episode 29 of Brands In Play.

At the heart of the show is Alex Wechsler, Head of Studios at 100 Thieves. Alex lays out how 100 Thieves went from “just another esports org” to a cultural brand that moves like Supreme but competes like the Lakers. He talks candidly about the esports bubble, the grind of keeping players, brands, and fans happy at the same time, and how live content is becoming the new frontier for sponsorships.

Before diving into our conversation with Alex, we tackled the week’s biggest stories, from serious questions around child safety on Roblox, to Reese’s smart move riding Taylor Swift’s new album announcement wave! This one is for the Swifties. We also tackle Meta’s surprising win with Ray-Ban smart glasses, and yes… even scratch-and-sniff billboards. 

And because no episode is complete without it, Nic jumps into the Real Time Review with a first-hand look at Hi-Chew’s latest Fortnite activation. From vibrant worlds to branded wearables, it’s proof that candy companies can play (and win) in UGC gaming.

Watch the full episode  

And hit follow on Brands in Play for weekly insights

Follow Alex - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-wechsler-a3984146/

Follow 100 Thieves -
https://www.youtube.com/@100Thieves
https://www.linkedin.com/company/100thieves/posts/?feedView=all

Follow Lee Kebler - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leekebler/

Follow Us:

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/

#BrandsInPlay #100Thieves #TechMagic

McDonaldland is so back! This time inside Fortnite, as part of a global campaign spanning TV, influencers, and immersive worlds.

On Episode 28 of Brands In Play, we’re joined by Ryan Norrington, Creative Director at Metavision, to talk about what it takes to bring a campaign of this scale into Fortnite and why the platform was the right fit for McDonald’s.

We also dive into the week’s news with Lady Gaga on Roblox, Tim Sweeney clapping back at the Wall Street Journal, Meta Horizon’s big shift, and anime hitting Delta flights. All this before Albane takes us inside McDonaldland on Fortnite herself for a real-time review.

Vote for the Sawhorse SXSW Panel: https://participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sxsw26/community-voting-sxsw-auth/page/community-voting/session/1752521122603001ycxd

Watch the full episode  on YouTube and Spotify

Episode 28 is now live.

And hit follow on Brands in Play for weekly insights

Follow Ryan Norrington - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryannorrington/

Follow Metavision - https://www.linkedin.com/company/metavision-studio/posts/?feedView=all

Follow Us:

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/

#brandsinplay  #metavision  #mcdonalds #mcdonaldland