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Artwork for Brands In Play

Brands In Play

Brands In Play
Roblox
Gaming
Immersive Marketing
South By Southwest
Fortnite
GTA 6
Proto Hologram
Gaming Industry
Livestreaming
Immersive Shopping
IGN Entertainment
Mattel
Karl Lagerfeld
Artificial Intelligence
Solsten
Netflix
GETREKT Labs
Mattel Future Lab
UGC Virtual Worlds
Monster High

Welcome to Brands in Play - The podcast where we explore immersive marketing and the people who are leading it.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes72Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategories
MarketingBusiness

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Artwork for Brands In Play

Latest Episodes

This week on Brands In Play, Nic Hill and Ely Santos sit down with Chris Mann, SVP of RevXP at sports marketing agency rEvolution. Chris takes us behind the scenes of major branded activations with Chipotle and more, explaining why authenticity, comm... more

YouTube

This week on Brands In Play, Nic and Ely sit down with Doddz, the AR artist and founder of Dime. From Disney, Nike, Amazon and beyond, Doddz breaks down how brands can use augmented reality to create experiences that feel like moments of magic. The c... more

YouTube

Episode 70 is live!

This week, Nic Hill and Ely Santos sit down with John Benyamine, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Moonrock, one of the top game marketing agencies. 

John has worked on everything from Comic-Con activations and Fortnite... more

YouTube

This week on Brands In Play, we’ve got a packed house! First up, Ely Santos (Founder of Vibe Glass and host of the Metavertising Podcast) is joining us as our guest co-host for the whole month of June.

Then, Nic sits down with Will Trowbridge, the F... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Will Trowbridge
Founder and CEO of Saylor, former Disney/Neflix executive
Saylor
Episode: Entertainment Is the New Media Plan
Derek Dabrowski
SVP Head of Cold Brand Marketing at Keurig Dr Pepper
Keurig Dr Pepper
Episode: Your CFO Doesn't Care About Impressions
Alexander Lee
Lead news writer at GamesBeat, covering business of gaming and creator economy
GamesBeat
Episode: GTA 6 Could Become The Next Creator Platform
Benjamin Wiener
Head of emerging platforms at Sawhorse
Sawhorse
Episode: GTA 6 Could Become The Next Creator Platform
David Nussbaum
Founder and Chairman of Proto Hologram
Proto Hologram
Episode: First Ever Hologram Ad Network
Zoe Soon
Head of Creator and Gaming, Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)
IAB
Episode: Brands Are Spending in the Wrong Places
Karl Stewart
SVP of Worldwide Marketing and Head of Imagine AI at IGN Entertainment
IGN Entertainment
Episode: IGN Entertainment Generations In Play Audience Report
Tate Fiebing
Senior Director of Business Intelligence at IGN Entertainment
IGN Entertainment
Episode: IGN Entertainment Generations In Play Audience Report
Brent Koning
Global Head of Gaming at Dentsu
Dentsu
Episode: IGN Entertainment Generations In Play Audience Report

Hosts

Nic Hill
Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Sawhorse; Host of Brands In Play; frequent speaker on immersive marketing and creator economies.
Morgan Pomish
SVP Head of Innovative Experiences; Host of Brands In Play; known for guiding discussions on innovative experiences and creator-led marketing.
Lee Kebler
Co-host of Brands In Play; technologist/designer/musician; CTO at Trust Player Zero; frequent guest host.
Val Vacante
Co-host of Brands In Play; involved in collabs and executive board initiatives; frequent contributor on brand strategy and immersive campaigns.
Aida Andersson
Host; senior executive with Chartis; contributes industry perspective on enterprise risk, partnerships, and commercial strategy in insurance/tech space.

Chart Rankings

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Entertainment Is the New Media Plan
Q: How do you define immersive marketing beyond traditional ads, and what does branded entertainment look like in practice?
Will describes immersive marketing as branded entertainment that spans video across platforms, not a standard commercial, where the brand is present but the storytelling takes center stage. Nic and Will discuss examples like mailer campaigns and in-world activations that feel native and entertaining rather than interruptive.
Entertainment Is the New Media Plan
Q: All right, Will, welcome to Brands In Play. Give us a little background on Saylor and yourself, and how did you get into all of this?
Will explains his trajectory from Disney to Netflix, building Netflix Is a Joke, and then launching Saylor as a social-first creative agency focused on entertaining brands through branded content and AI-enabled production. He highlights their work with entertainment brands and non-endemic brands that need to entertain to win on social.
Who ACTUALLY Won Immersive Marketing in 2025?
Q: What were the standout AR wearables developments that could redefine immersive marketing?
Wearables like Snap Spectacles and Meta Ray-Bans were highlighted as pivotal, with expectations that AR glasses could reduce phone dependency and enable more seamless, location- and environment-aware marketing experiences.
Your CFO Doesn't Care About Impressions
Q: How do you translate immersive marketing metrics for the CFO and board?
Focus on enterprise-value-aligned metrics like incrementality, household penetration, new buyers, repeat patterns, and lifetime value, and translate engagement metrics into how they drive growth and revenue.
IGN Exec: "Stop Treating Gen Z Gamers Like Millennials!"
Q: What do you feel is currently the best way to engage with the gaming audience, given the rise of platforms like Roblox?
Understand the community first, avoid interrupting experiences with cheap impressions, and ensure your brand fits the space by aligning with what the generation consumes; brands should build into existing ecosystems rather than forcing in, leveraging authentic, creator-driven spaces.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Brands In Play

What is Brands In Play about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show circles around immersive marketing, with a strong focus on gaming, XR, and creator-driven brand partnerships. Episodes frequently unpack how brands participate in sprawling digital ecosystems—from native tools in blockbuster games to holographic advertising and AI-enabled storytelling—while weighing measurement, safety, and authenticity. Real-time reviews and high-profile interviews with executives, creators, and technologists help listeners understand practical activation ideas, budgeting considerations, and the evolving rules of engagement across platforms like Roblox, Fortnite, GTA, and emerging holographic networks. A standout trait is the blend of hands-on activation analysis, industry news, and long-form conversations with p... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Brands In Play?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Brands In Play:

1. 99% Invisible
2. Radiolab
3. DTC Podcast

How many episodes of Brands In Play are there?

Brands In Play launched a year ago and published 72 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Brands In Play?

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What guests have appeared on Brands In Play?

Recent guests on Brands In Play include:

1. Will Trowbridge
2. Derek Dabrowski
3. Alexander Lee
4. Benjamin Wiener
5. David Nussbaum
6. Zoe Soon
7. Karl Stewart
8. Tate Fiebing

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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