It's EPISODE 50! Before anything else, thank you to everyone who’s been listening, watching, sharing, and building with us along the way. What started as a conversation has turned into a weekly ritual, and we don’t take that for granted. Your support is the reason Brands In Play keeps showing up, digging deeper, and pushing this space forward.

This week on the show, Nic Hill and Albane Prioux sit down with Bastian Bergmann, Co-Founder & COO of Solsten and author of Press Play: Why Every Company Needs a Gaming Strategy. Bastian makes the case for gaming as a core brand channel and breaks down what most marketing teams still miss: you can’t win in games with demographic stereotypes or copy-pasted campaign thinking.

In the news, Why boring brands are failing in gaming, Coach inside The Sims 4, How Rockstar is legitimizing mod culture with an official UGC marketplace and Regal is turning Roblox play into real-world movie rewards in the US.

And for the Real-Time Review, Albane heads to London’s Outernet to break down Nike’s new immersive Nike Mind activation!

If you are liking the show, give us a follow. We break down how brands, platforms, and creators operate inside gaming, UGC Platforms and Immersive media.

The Brands In Play Episode 50 is now live on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Chapters:
Intro - 00:00
News - 02:56
Nike at London Outernet Real Time Review - 20:53
Bastian Bergmann Interview- 28:00
HIT, MISS & BET - 53:27

Purchase "Press Play: Why Every Company Needs A Gaming Strategy" on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Press-Play-Company-Gaming-Strategy/dp/1647826152

Follow Bastian Bergmann - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bergmannbastian/

Follow Solsten - https://www.linkedin.com/company/getsolsten/

Follow Us:

Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Albane Prioux - https://www.linkedin.com/in/albaneprioux/

Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/

Creative Producer
Dr. Giovanna Casimiro https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggcasimiro/

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

#brandsinplay #pressplay

Episode 49 of Brands In Play is here and this week Nic Hill and Albane Prioux are joined by Charlie Melcher, founder of Melcher Media and The Future of Storytelling, and author of The Future of Storytelling.

In the interview, Charlie breaks down the rise of “living stories", plus what this shift means for brand storytelling, experience design, and how marketers should think about impact, memory, and measurement in immersive formats.

News this week: LEGO steals the spotlight at CES • Roblox rolls out a new advertising format • Chipotle taps into EA Sports College Football 26 • Fortnite flips the switch on in-island transactions

And for the Real-Time Review, Nic shares a first-hand look inside Cosm Los Angeles, the “shared reality” venue blending stadium energy with a dome-scale, courtside way to watch live sports.

If you are liking the show, give us a follow. We break down how brands, platforms, and creators operate inside gaming, UGC Platforms and Immersive media.

The Brands In Play Episode 49 is now live on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Chapters:
Intro - 00:00
News - 03:35
COSM Real Time Review - 18:17
Charles Melcher Interview- 27:56
HIT, MISS & BET - 52:46

Purchase "The Future of Storytelling" on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Living-Stories-Immersive-Entertainment-Modern/dp/1648293832

Follow Charles Melcher - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesmelcher/

Follow Future of Storytelling - https://www.linkedin.com/company/future-of-storytelling/

Follow Us:

Co-Hosts:
Nic Hill - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-hill-6553873/
Albane Prioux - https://www.linkedin.com/in/albaneprioux/

Producer / Editor
Edward Regue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-regue-%C2%A9-44b0421b2/

Creative Producer
Dr. Giovanna Casimiro https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggcasimiro/

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

#brandsinplay #futureofstorytelling

Brands In Play kicks off 2026 with a predictions episode. Nic Hill and Albane Prioux center the conversation around three questions brands are already grappling with:

• Where people will spend time playing and socializing
• Which monetization models hold up under real pressure
• How creator-led economies are changing brand strategy.

This week in the news, Warner Bros. leans toward Netflix over Paramount, SandboxVR scales globally, FIFA deepens its Roblox strategy and NBA star Luka Dončić drives authentic engagement with a limited-time Roblox integration.

If you are liking the show, give us a follow. We break down how brands, platforms, and creators operate inside gaming, UGC Platforms and Immersive media.


The Brands In Play 2026 Prediction Episode is now live on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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/
Dr. Giovanna Casimiro https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggcasimiro/

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

#brandsinplay #2026predictions