ATime&Place launches DEEP as brands shift from campaigns to experiences

Independent agency ATime&Place has launched a new division aimed at helping brands move beyond traditional campaigns and into product-led, experience-driven marketing.

The Digital Experience & Entertainment Practice (DEEP) will focus on brand-owned entertainment, digital product development, customer experience design and gaming, as brands look to better connect with Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences.

The move reflects a broader shift in marketing, with younger consumers increasingly favouring interactive digital environments over one-off campaigns.

The practice will be led by Jasmine Hansen, who joins from eGEN. Hansen brings a mix of product, platform and entertainment experience, having also held senior roles at Sportsbet and previously led the Dumb Ways to Die gaming franchise at Metro Trains Melbourne.

She said the opportunity for brands lies in rethinking how digital experiences drive both engagement and revenue.

“Marketing at its core is about entertainment,” Hansen said. “Brands that build experiences people actively want to take part in - whether through loyalty, utility or entertainment - drive deeper engagement and stronger long-term value.”

She added that platforms such as Roblox, which now attracts more than 150 million daily active users globally, are opening up new commercial opportunities for brands.

“It’s a compelling shift for CMOs, where marketing is no longer just an expense line item, but a generator of revenue,” she said.

Hansen will work alongside creative director Chris Jovanov, who joined the agency six months ago following roles at AKQA, R/GA, Leo Burnett and Clemenger BBDO. 

DEEP launches across Australia and New Zealand this month, with the agency already in discussions with brands on early-stage projects.

Matt Lawson, co-founder and chief creative officer at ATime&Place, said the launch formalises a capability the agency sees as critical to modern brand-building.

“Having real expertise in the digital environments that younger audiences inhabit, and the ability to create immersive experiences and useful products, is now essential.”