This week on Brands In Play, Nic Hill and Albane Prioux are officially off for the holidays, so Episode 47 is a little different: we’re rebroadcasting one of our favourite podcasts, UNBOXING: Play and Profit for the Gaming Curious. Hosted by gaming-industry professors Laine Nooney and Joost van Dreunen. If you work in gaming, media, or brand market…

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 …

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 an…

[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…

[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 buyi…

[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, collecto…

[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, au…

[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 sto…

[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 fo…

[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 th…

[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, Mc…

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 form…

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. H…

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 ex…

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 …

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 sc…

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 u…

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 …

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 th…

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 McD…

Episode 27 of Brands In Play, Albane Prioux sits down with Annette Lee, Head of Global Business Development at Zepeto, to unpack how the platform’s avatar-first model has created a global audience that’s majority Gen Z female. Annette breaks down the four creator types driving the economy and how each opens up a different path for brand activations…

What are the key strategies for successful media buying in gaming? This week on Brands In Play, Albane Prioux and Nic Hill are joined by Claire Nance from Activision Blizzard Media to talk about what makes an ad campaign effective inside games. We’ll explore how to build campaigns that players actually love, focusing on mobile's unique challenges a…

We’ve teamed up with the Kids Media Club podcast to explore one of the strangest and most viral trends in UGC culture: Italian Brain Rot. Together with Jo, Emily, and Andy, we unpack how a chaotic wave of AI-generated characters and in-jokes became a cultural flashpoint across Roblox and Fortnite, sparking games, fandoms, and serious revenue. In th…

Charles Hambro built GEEIQ before Meta even had the name. In this episode, he joins us to talk about what brand success in virtual worlds actually looks like, why Roblox shouldn’t be treated as an “innovation play” anymore, and how campaign-based activations are overtaking persistent worlds. It’s the kind of conversation that is data-backed, no flu…

What platforms make sense for your brand? In this special deep dive episode of Brands In Play, Nic Hill (Sawhorse) and Albane Prioux (GEEIQ) answer the top questions brands keep asking about gaming, virtual worlds, and virtual identity. On this episode they explore the challenges brands are facing with fragmented audiences in gaming and provide ins…

This week, Nic Hill and Albane Prioux are joined by Joe Pace, VP of ASICS Ventures, to unpack how the legacy fitness brand is building an entirely new virtual sport, from scratch. DISC is now live on MetaQuest, and it's not a one-off campaign, it’s a long-term strategy rooted in movement, community, and real brand equity. We explore what it means t…

In episode 21 of Brands In Play Albane Prioux & Nic Hill put the spotlight on Nate Spell, founder and CEO of Barrier Four. His team rebuilt the entire Squid Game Season 3 recap video inside Roblox shot-for-shot. Every dorm bunk, every merry-go-round frame, every contestant mask, using the platform’s own animation tools. Nate explains why they insis…

In episode 20 of Brands In Play, Nic Hill and Albane Prioux sit down with Gino Roy, Art Director at Sawhorse. He’s behind the visual direction of some of the best-looking branded games on Roblox like Beetlejuice, Wicked, Kung Fu Panda, Tommy Play, and most recently, How to Train Your Dragon. But this conversation goes deeper than art. We get into h…

On Episode 19 of Brands In Play, Albane Prioux and Nic Hill speak with Uri Marchand, CEO of Overwolf, discussing how his company serving 100M+ monthly users is being leveraged by brands to engage with notoriously hard-to-reach gaming communities. Founded in 2010, Overwolf's mission is to empower creativity in gaming and help in-game creators make t…

This week, Nic Hill and Albane Prioux take us to AWE 2025, where Nic hosts a live panel about marketing with augmented reality, joined by three standout voices shaping the spatial future: 🔸 Raag Harshavat, AR Developer Relations at Snapchat. Raag works at the intersection of AR technology and creative enablement at Snapchat, helping developers and …

In Episode 17 of Brands in Play, Nic Hill and Albane Prioux sit down with Erik Londré, founder of Karta. His journey? From managing global eSports events at Fnatic to building branded Fortnite maps for Lavazza during the pandemic and eventually launching one of the most creative studios in the space. Topics Covered: Why Roblox’s “3D internet of sub…

In this episode, Nic and Albane continue their conversations with experts at the GamesBeat Summit and unpack this week’s top stories in the industry, and what it means for your brand: Netflix is developing a Clash of Clans animated series, would it be successful? Let us know your thoughts Google revealed new smart eyewear powered by their Android X…

Brands have been engaging with gaming since the 90s, but in recent years there’s been a noticeable rise in the number of brand activations, and the models and opportunities have also evolved significantly. In Episode 15 of Brands in Play, @Nic Hill and @Albane Prioux speak with Dean Takahashi, Editorial Director at GamesBeat. Dean is a long-time ex…

𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆 - 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝟭𝟰 | 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗼𝘅 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘁. 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗸𝗲 | 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗼𝘅 This week on Brands In Play, Nic Hill and Albane Prioux are joined by Winnie Burke, Global Group Director of Fashion & Retail Partnerships at Roblox and someone who's been shaping brand experiences on the platform for nearly a decade. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲: How Robl…

𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆 - 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝟭𝟯 | 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗼𝘅 𝗳𝘁. 𝗝𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘆𝗮𝗲𝗿𝘁 | 𝗦𝗸𝘆𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 This week we unpack what integration looks like: from building persistent, data-driven brand placements in top games like LiveTopia, to understanding when not to launch an owned experience. In episode 13 of Brands In Play, Nic Hill & Albane Prioux sit down wit…

𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆 - 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝟭𝟮 | 𝗡𝗔𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗥 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝘁. 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗕𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸 | 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝘅 In this episode of Brands In Play, Nic Hill and Albane Prioux are joined by Harry Bienenstock, Head of Growth at Voldex, the powerhouse behind some of Roblox’s top games including Driving Empire, NFL Universe, and most recently, Brookhaven, one of the most pla…

𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗜𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝟭𝟭 | 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻’𝘀 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 | 𝗕𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗨𝗯𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁 What does it take to bring brands into a universe as iconic and narratively rich as Assassin’s Creed, without breaking immersion? In Episode 11 of Brands In Play, Nic Hill and Albane Prioux sit down with Bruna Soares, Director of Global …

How BBH Turned a Childhood Experiment Into a Fortnite Icon | The Fizzooka Campaign with Mentos What happens when a classic science experiment meets the chaotic brilliance of Fortnite? In this episode of Brands In Play, we’re joined by Stu Royall and Phil Holbrook, Creative Directors at BBH London and the minds behind the viral Fizzooka campaign for…

EPISODE 9 — Tom Emrich: The Next Dimension What if your next marketing edge wasn’t a new channel, but a new dimension? In this episode of Brands In Play, we sit down with Tom Emrich, one of the world’s most respected voices in augmented reality and spatial computing. He’s a journalist, investor, product leader and now the author of The Next Dimensi…

𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗜𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆 – 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝟴: 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘁. 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲 𝗞𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗵 (𝗔𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹) In this episode of Brands In Play, Albane Prioux and Nic Hill are joined by Laurie Keith, Senior Vice President of Emerging Media & Technology at the Ad Council – the nonprofit behind some of the most iconic public service campaigns in history, from Smokey Bear to “Fr…

In this episode of Brands In Play, Albane Prioux and Nic Hill are joined by Alvaro G. Velilla, Senior Vice President of New Business at Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music company, to explore UMGs strategy for music in gaming. Alvaro has spent two decades working at the intersection of music, tech, and innovation. Today, he’s helping s…

What does it mean for a global retailer to go from brick-and-mortar to immersive commerce? In our latest episode of Brands In Play, we sat down with Justin Breton, Director of Brand Experiences & Strategic Partnerships at Walmart, to unpack how one of the world’s largest retailers is pushing into the future of immersive storytelling, platform-nativ…

In Episode 5 of Brands In Play (yes, already!), Albane Prioux and Nic Hill 🔜 GDC sit down with Gianna Valintina, Global Head of Strategic Partnerships at Spatial, to discuss how brands are using Spatial’s creative freedom to build immersive and interactive experiences. Spatial empowers brands and developers to create entirely unique interactive wor…

How Brands Are Embracing Gamer Culture: Walmart, DoorDash & L’Oréal in Gaming | Brands In Play Ep. 4 Description: Gaming is no longer just an entertainment industry. It’s a cultural powerhouse, shaping how people connect, play, and even shop. In Episode 4 of Brands In Play, Nic Hill and Albane Prioux sit down with Pete Basgen, Head of Global Gaming…

What’s the state of VR gaming today? How should brands be thinking about immersive experiences? And what’s the real difference between VR, AR, XR, and all the other Rs? In this episode of Brands In Play, Nic Hill and Albane Prioux sit down with Arturo Perez, CEO of Kluge, the immersive game studio behind Synth Riders and the upcoming Final Fury. Ar…

In this episode of Brands In Play, we sit down with Manon Cardiel, Global Director of Entertainment & Innovation at L’Oréal Group, to explore the fine line marketers must walk between performance-driven strategies and entertainment-led branding. Manon shares insights from her entrepreneurial journey, her experience launching groundbreaking projects…

Welcome to the very first episode of Brands in Play! This is the show where we dive into the intersection of brands, gaming, and immersive experiences. Hosted by Nic Hill and Albane Prioux , we’ll be breaking down the latest industry trends, epic brand activations, and what’s working (or not) in the world of Immersive Marketing and UGC gaming. This…

Join us for an insightful interview with Charles Hambro, CEO of GEEIQ, a pioneering metaverse and gaming analytics firm empowering brands to embrace digital ownership. Discover how GEEIQ's platform serves as a single source of truth for metaverse activations and gain insights into identifying ideal customers in this dynamic industry. Whether you're…

Welcome to another exciting episode of the Trailblazer Podcast, brought to you by the Web3 & Metaverse Marketing Network! In this episode, the team features a groundbreaking conversation between Dan Barry and Matt Edelman, diving deep into the revolutionary Olympic world built by Super League on Roblox. Welcome to another exciting episode of the Tr…

Join us for an insightful interview with Raakhee Miller, CEO of Mojito, a pioneering Web3 platform empowering brands to embrace digital ownership. Learn about Mojito's journey, from inception to revolutionizing consumer engagement in the Web3 era. 0:00​ - Introduction to Raakhee Miller and Mojito 1:18​ - Continuous Learning in Web3 3:47​ - The Orig…