Influence is no longer just about reach or view counts. In recent years, a new dynamic has emerged - one where entertainment drives engagement. Comedians, athletes, filmmakers, and streamers are now blurring the lines between influence, performance, and storytelling.
Their playground? Hybrid formats inspired by cinema, live performance, and sports - captivating audiences far beyond the traditional codes of influencer marketing. The era of the simple sponsored post is over. We’ve entered a new age of cultural influence, rooted in entertainment, where performance is measured not by visibility but by the emotion it triggers and the memory it leaves behind.
When Artists Embrace the Codes of Influence
The days when influence was limited to a single product placement on Instagram are long gone. Creators now aim to deliver real experiences - emotional, narrative, and deeply personal.
Artists, too, have adopted these new codes. Comedians, musicians, and actors use social platforms as full-fledged stages, crafting productions with the same care and storytelling precision as professional studios.
Malik Bentalha: Where Humor, Sports, and Pop Culture Meet
One of the most striking examples is Malik Bentalha. Through his parody videos - spoofs of popular talk shows like L’Heure des pros - he masterfully bends television formats into viral humor. His tone, both satirical and mainstream, embodies a distinctly French form of entertainment, where collaborations with brands such as Adidas blend seamlessly into his creative identity.
Where old models of influence relied on visibility, Malik Bentalha embodies cultural credibility - a far more enduring asset for brands. His partnership with Adidas wasn’t an ad campaign; it was a meeting point between two worlds, where athletic performance and comic expression intersect.
When Humor Becomes a Vector for Emotion and Community
Other comedians have followed similar paths. Jonathan Cohen, through his cult character Marc in La Flamme and Le Flambeau, has seen his creations inspire brand campaigns, memes, and even merchandising. Meanwhile, Jamel Debbouze, with Le Marrakech du Rire, turned a comedy festival into a global content platform, in collaboration with partners like Coca-Cola and YouTube.
These artists prove that humor is a powerful emotional and communal connector for brands - provided they respect the rules of the show rather than those of advertising. In this model, the artist isn’t doing “marketing”; they’re crafting emotion - performing it, staging it - while the brand extends the story.
Creators Are Inventing Their Own Formats
At the same time, digital creators are adopting the codes of professional entertainment. YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok are no longer just platforms - they’re open-air studios for ambitious productions.
GP Explorer: The Rise of Participatory Spectacle
The most emblematic project remains GP Explorer, created by Squeezie. This massive event brought together dozens of creators for a real car race - livestreamed on Twitch before over a million viewers, attended by tens of thousands in the stands, and since 2025, broadcast on France Télévisions.
What could have been just another “influencer event” became a cultural phenomenon - blending sport, staging, competition, and narrative. Brand partners like Red Bull and Samsung found in it a new kind of playground: participatory spectacle, where brands don’t just appear in content - they become part of the culture.
Fiction: The New Playground for Creators
Other projects, such as Terminal by Michou or Stop the Train by Squeezie & Théodore Bonnet, take on a cinematic approach. High production value, immersive storytelling, exceptional casting - the line between web and TV has blurred. These creators now rival traditional entertainment studios, building narrative worlds where brands can integrate intelligently - if they understand the tone and grammar of the show.
Creators like Mastu, Inoxtag, or Amixem push this even further with immersive projects: volcano climbs, expeditions, or scripted documentaries. Influence is now a form of audiovisual production, where brands act as co-producers, not just sponsors.
Entertainment: The New DNA of Brand Communication
All these initiatives are reshaping the boundaries of influencer marketing. Audiences no longer expect a recommendation - they want an experience to live, watch, and share.
Visionary brands have already understood this shift. Their goal is no longer to buy visibility, but to embed themselves into culture by co-creating formats that are entertaining, emotional, and memorable.
From Nike with musicians to Puma with comedians, and Adidas with humorists or athletes, brands now rely on personalities who resonate far beyond their initial community - thanks to their cultural legitimacy.
Because we don’t remember ads - we remember emotions, moments, and stories.
Because we don’t remember ads - we remember emotions, moments, and stories.
Toward a Cultural and Emotional Form of Influence
As entertainment becomes a strategic pillar, brands face a new challenge: adopting the mindset of a culture producer. It’s no longer about collaborating with influencers, but about co-creating meaningful formats that merge narrative, creativity, and authenticity.
The future of influence lies in this hybridization: campaigns that feel like events, creators who become directors, and brands that act as co-producers of the show.
In this new ecosystem, attention isn’t bought, it’s earned. Earned through emotion, storytelling, and the experience you deliver.