Brands In Play

Matt watched a crowd in Detroit sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” as if they were inside the stadium. Nic saw Call of Duty turn Cosm Los Angeles into a launch party that made use of far more than the dome.This week, Matt and Nic share their experiences and explore what Cosm’s shared reality venues offer fans and brands. Nic sits down with Mazen Alawar, Cosm’s SVP and Head of Marketing, to talk about how the company brings people together around sports, films and live events.Mazen walks us through Monster Energy’s partnership, from immersive ads to a black-bun burger and themed cocktails. We also talk about the Call of Duty event, what makes fans want to share an experience afterward, and how brands can look at fan reactions, earned media and brand lift.On the entertainment side, Cosm is choosing films with worlds people want to step inside, including The Matrix and Harry Potter. That can mean serving food alongside scenes in a film or giving guests a Quidditch photo experience to take home.Watch the full episode. Link in the comments.#BrandsInPlay #Cosm #ImmersiveMarketing #SharedReality #ExperientialMarketing #BrandExperiencesWatch or listen to Episode 103 of Brands In Play.Follow Mazen Alawar - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mazenalawar/Follow Cosm - https://www.linkedin.com/company/experiencecosm/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 

How far can a game ad stretch the truth before it becomes misleading?This week on Brands In Play, Nic Hill and Matt Daly discuss the UK’s rulings on mobile game ads from Scopely, King and others, and why a “not actual gameplay” disclaimer isn’t always enough.We also look at Crimson Desert’s playable Twitch demo, Cristaline’s recycling deathrun in Fortnite, and Barbie letting fans transform their own rooms through Pinterest. Plus, Cheetos brings a virtual pet to Twitch, and SVEDKA is offering $500,000 for a fan-made ad.And that’s not all: Zelda brings fans back to midnight launches, while 7-Eleven and Urban Decay turn to microdramas to tell their stories.Watch or listen to the latest Brands In Play [Link in Comments]#marketingtips  #marketingstrategy  #gaming  #brandstrategy Watch or listen to the full conversation on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Podcasts.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

GTA 6 could bring a whole new wave of brands into gaming. GamesBeat journalist Alex Lee’s question is whether they’ll find a reason to stick around.Nic caught up with Alex at GamesBeat Next in SF to talk about how brands are showing up from eBay’s GTA-inspired car activation to Capcom letting Roblox developers choose which Street Fighter characters to bring into Untitled Boxing Game.Alex also questions what brands actually get from multimillion-dollar Esports World Cup sponsorships, explains why some players actually welcome advertising, and shares his predictions for how leading UGC gaming platforms like Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft and GTA 6’s will evolve their POVs on working with brands.We also about talk get AI vibe coding is democratizing game creation, the backlash from players, and whether good human ideas will rise above the slop... or not.His advice to marketers? Look at the player data yourself before taking an 'expert’s' word for it.Watch or listen to the full episode.Watch or listen to Episode 101 of Brands In Play.Follow Alexander Lee - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-lee-82013a101/Follow GamesBeat - https://www.linkedin.com/company/gamesbeatFollow 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 #gamesbeat

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 ProductionAdam Kreiner - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-kreiner-a14107274/Trailer:EditorJoana 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

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

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

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

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

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-marketingWatch 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

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