Havas Play launches playable ad offering across APAC
Under the agreement, iion will become Havas Play’s exclusive technology partner for playable and mini-game builds in the region.
Havas Play has partnered with gaming advertising platform iion to offer interactive, playable advertising across Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) and Asia-Pacific (APAC). The partnership combines Havas Play’s expertise in sport, entertainment, gaming and fandom with iion’s technology platform.
The resulting Havas Play:able offering will use iion’s Playable Creator Studio to develop branded experiences across gaming, digital and social environments.
Havas Play integrates iion playable advertising platform
Havas Play:able is designed to encourage audiences to interact with branded content rather than simply view it. The offering will be available across the Havas network and directly to brand clients.
Using iion’s Playable Creator Studio, teams can develop interactive concepts and previews for pitches before moving into production and deployment. Several Havas Play clients are exploring casual gaming experiences across retail, FMCG and beauty.
AI technology speeds up branded gaming experiences
The offering addresses production barriers that have traditionally affected playable advertising, including upfront costs and development timelines. iion’s platform uses agentic technology and AI automation alongside human creative strategy to produce interactive previews.
Once developed, experiences can be deployed through iion’s gaming ecosystem, the premium open web and social channels. Analytics will provide data on audience interaction and campaign performance.
Playable ads expand across gaming, digital and social
Yun Yip, Chief Commercial Officer, iion: “The era of passive media is over - every ad should be an invitation to play, interact, and engage, because that’s how genuine brand love is created. Havas Play fundamentally understands culture and entertainment, and together we aim to take the power of 'play' far beyond gaming into the broader digital and social ecosystem.
“By fusing their cultural pulse with our technology, we are making every impression an active, lean-in moment that keeps brands top-of-mind while delivering measurable performance across the player’s experience."
The partnership will also support the development of casual gaming experiences designed to bring gaming mechanics into physical and digital environments beyond dedicated gaming platforms.
Havas Play:able targets everyday brand engagement
Nick Smith, Managing Partner, Havas Play ANZ: “Gaming has become one of the most powerful ways for brands to earn attention, and the scale and frequency of casual gaming has made play a mainstream behaviour, not a niche activity. Micro-games give brands an opportunity to move from advertising around gaming to creating experiences that audiences actively participate in, with simple, culturally relevant experiences that people can pick up and play anywhere.
“Historically, bringing that kind of experience into a brand’s everyday content and media plans has been difficult, expensive and slow. Havas Play:able changes that. By combining our understanding of culture with iion’s technology, we can turn an idea into a playable branded experience in days, not weeks, giving brands a new way to make their audiences active participants rather than passive viewers.”
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