Collabsco

🎙️🌟 Collabsco joined the first LIVE episode of Brands In Play, where Collabsco's Val Vacante and Nic Hill of Sawhorse Productions explored how play, creativity, and community are evolving across gaming, immersive media, and connected ecosystems.

The episode featured Chris Down, Chief Design and Innovation Officer at Mattel, Inc., for a powerful conversation on how legacy brands are shaping the future of play.

💡 Valerie Vacante's Key Insight: The most iconic brands are no longer defined by a single product. They are becoming multi‑platform ecosystems that meet players, fans, and communities wherever they are.

🎮 Luxury brands inside Resident Evil Re:Cre8
Hamilton Watch and Porsche Cars North America are redefining product placement through story‑driven integration. These collaborations prioritize narrative value over visibility, reflecting how younger audiences expect brand moments to feel native, not interruptive.

📊 Redefining what “good gaming” means
Newzoo’s 2026 report shows Roblox and Minecraft players have very little interest in high‑fidelity AAA titles. Roblox playtime is up 50% year over year. This generation values creativity, social play, and community over graphical realism, shaping a new definition of “good.”

🌐 Epic Games and Google’s metaverse browser
Epic and Google are exploring an open browser experience that could host platforms like Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft. The goal is to create more equitable economics for developers and studios by reducing the layers of platform fees that impact UGC revenue.

🎬 Netflix acquires Ben Affleck's GenAI startup
Netflix’s acquisition of InterPositive for up to $600M signals a major shift in post‑production. The technology enhances filmmaker‑generated content rather than replacing it, accelerating workflows while keeping creative intent at the center.

🍔 Invincible Burger Mart with PepsiCo's Brisk
One of SXSW’s most talked‑about activations brought Invincible’s Burger Mart into the real world. Powered by Brisk, the experience delivered long lines, high fan energy, custom merch, and a fully realized IRL translation of the animated world. A strong example of fandom meeting physical space.

🎤 Conversation with Chris Down, Mattel, Inc.
Chris shared how Mattel is designing for connected play across physical, digital, and entertainment touchpoints.

A few standout themes:
• Every brand and IP has an inherent purpose that guides how it extends into new worlds
• Culture and consumer signals shape where brands show up next
• Hot Wheels continues to innovate from Hot Wheels ID to the global Legends Tour, now the largest traveling car show in the world with 800,000 attendees

https://youtu.be/Bagdh-5rvu4?si=Q2-tENGpSFoQT1bX

Brands in Play LIVE at SXSW - Barbie, Hot Wheels and the Future of Play Episode 57 of Brands In Play was recorded live at SXSW at the Red Thread X House, with Val Vacante joining Nic Hill on stage for a conversation with Chris Do...