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[Founder story] Play'Ads, the start up that aims at revolutionizing the advertising market

Open Innovation
Published on August 04, 2021

In the context of our partnership with the Euratech incubator, France Televisions supports media founders in their start-up creation. Today we interview Nicolas Dubusse and Axel Bouffart from Play’Ads which aims at revolutionizing the advertising market through gaming. The latter are sponsored by France Télévisions Publicité (France Télévisions advertising department) represented by Thomas Luisetti (Digital strategy and Technological innovation director) who gives us his insights on Play’Ads business perspectives at the end of the article.

    What is Play’Ads value proposition ?

    Nicolas Dubusse : At Play’Ads, we aim to put the user or customer experience at their communication strategy core through life size games for SMEs and large group. These life size games can be a treasure hunt, a paper chase or an orienteering race sponsored by an advertiser.

    This will allow advetisers to improve their targeting, user engagement and generate proximity with their customer or employees through a fun and local experience. Thanks to Play’Ads, brands will impact their targeted audience to better reach and retain them.

    An example of game organized by Play’Ads for a Lille local advertiser (Lil Club)

    Which needs answer Play’Ads value proposition ?

    Nicolas Dubusse – We observed that companies meet today 2 type of situations:

    #1. Difficulties to differentiate themselves in their advertsing campaign due to the large daily information quantity that we faced. Indeed, a person is exposed to more than 1 200 advertising messages each day. This is why advertiser must create an experience to engage and develop a proximity relationship with their clients, in particular through social interactions and fun activities.

    #2. Change advertising image! 75% of French people declare to see advertising as intrusive or even aggressive. This is the case for most of media (TV, Digital media, outdoor advertising…). The goal is to turn the companies communication campaign to be more positive and less intrusive.

    User interface of the game organized by Play'Ads for the Lil Game

    What are the advertising market challenges ?

    Axel Bouffart : We deem that the advertising market must offer experience! Social interactions, personalization, humanization of advertising messages. More local communications for a global impact. Through advertising, consumers have to create emotions and positive memories. The consumer must be immerse in an universe. Brands have to create this universe if they wish to be heard and seen.

    We also think that advertising must regain a positive image! According to studies, 70% of French people declare to favor brands offering a funny experience. As much are willing to recommend a brand offering games to their friends (66%). And they are likely to buy more often products or services from this brand (64%).

    For users, we want that the consumer become a protagonist in advertising! Make him active and no more passive regarding advertising communications. The goal of Play’Ads is to transform a user into a player to make him more engaged! The game in itself is value creation lever beyond the client relationship.

    What is your vision for Play’Ads in the next 3 years ?

    Axel Bouffart : After the first use cases planned for 2021 end of year, we wish to develop the solution on the entire major French cities and some European cities in 2022. In the 2023, we will consider to launch a mobile application listing all of our games. Once our gamer communities sufficiently developed, a platform dedicated directly for final consumers. An application that will regroup all of our games for users thanks to the campaigns sponsored by our private advertisers.

    On the next years, we have the ambition that Play’Ads become the main partner of company advertising format gamification.

    What brings you Euratechnologies adventure?

    Nicolas Dubusse : Since our incubation beginning, Euratechnologies has supported us on the following points:

    •  An ecosystem which favors the ideation and development of our solution 
    • A structuration of our project as well as a track for growth and a creation methodology 
    • The inspiration of the feedback of others entrepreneurs that were in our shoes 
    • The connection with key contacts in our area 
    • The trust to encourage us to test our solution on the market. In particular due to the experience of large media group such as France Télévisions to evaluate our solution viability 
    • A complete personalized accompaniment 

    Which interest do you see to with a group like France Télévisions?

    Nicolas Dubusse :  From our first discussions with France Télévisions, we feel supported, listened and challenged! Which generated many collaboration axis such as:

    • The opportunity to cooperate with group operational teams to implement and live test our solution
    • The discussion and the co-construction of our offer with FranceTV Publicité. Directly on the operational part thanks to the famous sport ans cultural events (Roland Garros, Tour de France, Paris 2024 Olympics games). A potential collaboration on the targeted tv on the long run with its powerful local network (local advertising, regional TV channel...) 
    • More globally, beneficiate frome the expertise and the advise of communication/advertising professionals and the France Télvisions experience, its strike force and the diversity of its communication tools. 

    Can you tell us an anecdote on Play’Ads?

    Nicolas Dubusse : The project Play’Ads comes to my mind when I was still working at Decathlon. I drive 40km each day to go to my workspace. One moring, I realize the number of traditional 4x3 billboards on the road. The next day, I have a bit of fun counting them… I count 58! Which means more than one billboard per kilometer. I found it crazy! The more crazy thing is that I was not able to mention more than 5 advertisers that I crossed due to the large number of advertising messages displayed. I then wonder how to draw attention! My Peter Pan syndrome oriented me to the game.

    Axel Bouffart : Play’Ads is mostly a long story of friendship! An almost fraternal bond has linked us for more than 25 years and our mutual appetence for gaming. When we were young, child in leasure center, later as BAFA entertainer when we were teenagers in the same summer camps, and today as adults with this new communication and gamification project that is Play’Ads… For us the game is not a need, it’s a necessity!

    The viewpoint of Thomas Luisetti France Télévisions Publicité Play’Ads sponsor – Digital strategy and Technological Innovation Director

    France Télévisions Publicité is please to accompany Play’Ads during this global partnership between Euratechnologies and France Télévisions group. Indeed, Play’Ads promise is aligned with our short and middle term ambitions. On the one hand, we are constantly looking to diversify our advertising formats, and the work of Play’Ads toward gamification and engagement generation between the audience and the advertising is very interesting. On the other hand, the local value proposition is align with our willingness to get closer to the SMEs network in the wake of the launch of targeted TV and ADspace entreprises platform, our advertising purchases platform dedicated to SMEs market.
     
     

    Discover our partnership with the Euratech incubator 

     

    Written by Timothée Payan
    Published on August 04, 2021

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