How to embed your brand into the entertainment experience

When movies and games become full-blown cultural events, how do we go beyond sponsorship and join the actual story?

I don’t know if you guys have noticed, but cinema is sooo back. Gaming never really left. But it sure as hell is louder than ever. And, for the first time in what feels like forever, the entertainment sector feels alive again.

I don’t just mean people merely watching or playing. I’m talking about how fandoms show up. Movie premiers have become social global moments; game launches turn into weeklong digital festivals.

The group chats, the fan theories, fan art, meme cascades, merch drops, all point to one thing: entertainment is no longer content. It’s a community powerhouse.

And if you’re a brand, you have two choices:

1. You’re a part of that world, or

2. You’re Ariel. Longing to be, but handing out flyers outside the theatre instead.

Our world is dominated by fragmented attention spans and passive scrolling.

The world of entertainment, however, is different. It holds rare power: capturing full, undivided attention. Not just for minutes, but hours. And not just from individual people, but entire fan ecosystems.

That makes cinema and gaming two of the last “appointment culture” experiences we have left. And with that kind of emotional investment comes massive opportunity.

If you know how to meet audiences where they are, that is.                          

How? Well, this is what I like to call the entertainment lifecycle.

Think of every movie or game launch as a narrative arc, not just a date on the calendar. There are multiple touch points where brands can engage meaningfully if they understand the emotional tempo of the moment.

1. Anticipation (pre-launch)

Buzz is building. Trailers drop. Leaks circulate. Fandoms speculate.

Brand opportunity: Tap into the energy of anticipation. Think: themed teasers, co-branded storytelling, early-access experiences, hype-building UGC campaigns.

Like when McDonald’s dropped a limited-edition meal before the Spider-Verse movie released, creating buzz with fans instead of reacting after the fact.

2. Immersion (launch window)

People are watching, playing, obsessing. They want in-universe experiences.

Brand opportunity: Be part of the world-building. Collaborate with creators, host IRL fan activations, drop limited merch or content that feels like it came from inside the story.

Like when Xbox created bespoke controllers themed around Starfield, not just for gameplay, but as collector-level design pieces fans can flex.

3. Debrief (post-release glow)

The group chats are buzzing. The memes are flying. Think pieces are circulating.

Brand opportunity: Join the conversation. Enable fan theories, sponsor spoiler-free recaps, create content that feels like aftercare. Lean into cultural post-game analysis.

Like when Spotify curated Barbie-inspired mood playlists the weekend the movie dropped, tapping into the emotional aftershock, and keeping the momentum going for months after.

4. Reverberation (long-tail fandom)

True fans stick around. They rewatch. They mod the game. They cosplay. They quote.

Brand opportunity: Reward the diehards. Launch drops weeks later that deepen the universe. Lean into nostalgia. Turn culture moments into collections or IRL moments.

Remember when Balmain released a Pokémon collection years (and I mean yeaaars) after peak hype? And it sold out, because fandom doesn’t expire; it evolves.

So, how do brands actually add value without crashing the party? 

Because nobody likes a corporate killjoy. Here’s what separates meaningful entertainment partnerships from those that feel tacked on:

1. Co-create, don’t just collab

Don’t just slap your logo on the franchise. Ask: what would this brand look like in this world? Would it exist in the game's universe? Would it be a snack Barbie actually eats? A fit Miles Morales would actually wear?

2. Let the audience drive

Fans are not passive. They’re creators, curators, commentators. Your campaign should make space for them, not attempt to loudly blab over them. Think: remixable assets, open prompts, duets, stitch-friendly content.

3. Respect the worldbuilding

Don’t break the immersion with cringe cross-promotion. Study the lore. Respect the tone. Know the fan jokes. The more fluent you are in the universe, the more credible your brand becomes.

4. Show up across the arc

A single product drop won’t cut it. Plan like a story arc, drip your involvement across pre-launch hype, launch moment, post-launch glow, and fandom reverberation. Your brand becomes part of the timeline, not just a moment.

This isn’t about product placement anymore. It’s about cultural placement.

Quit buying media around movies and games. Embed yourself in the fandom. The conversation. The emotional journey people take when they fall in love with a story.

Ask yourself:

Are you extending the story, or interrupting it?
Are you showing up like a fan, or like a billboard?
Are you speaking the language of the world, or just using its hashtag?

The lights are dimming. The game is loading. If you want in, don’t knock at the door. Step into the scene, darling.

-Sophie Randell, Writer