Happy Sunday! As the first full week of March comes to an end, we’re looking back on everything from Rooster Teeth’s retirement announcement to squirrels named Cheese.

TIKTOK TAKES ACTION 🇺🇸

TikTok interrupted users’ regularly-scheduled FYPs last week with this important message: “Speak up now—before your government strips 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression.”

DATA • BRANDED BUZZ 📈

Is there any rhyme or reason to HelloFresh’s YouTube marketing strategy?

The YouTube blitz: It’s not unusual to see mobile games and online course providers sponsor several videos per week—but HelloFresh is taking that strategy to the next level. The meal kit company has backed 315 videos during the last 90 days, including at least 30 videos over the course of just one week in February.

• Two of those clips managed to snag spots in Gospel Stats’ ranking of Top 100 Branded Videos. For the most part, however, HelloFresh’s February campaigns were all over the board in terms of both viewership and subject matter. (Our personal favorite was this squirrelly vlog from Vine star Alex Ernst.)

The stats: Between February 19 and 26, HelloFresh sponsored 17 gaming videos, seven vlogs, two TV/movie breakdowns, two food videos, and one tech tutorial.

• The majority of those videos scored 100,000 views or less, while only one clip (Seanie Dew’s playthrough of Plants Vs Zombies 2) brought in at least 1 million views.
  
  

• One might assume from those stats that HelloFresh backs mainly gaming channels. In reality, the company’s most-sponsored channels are primarily podcasts and talk show-focused hubs, including H3 Podcast, Zane and Heath: UNFILTERED, and Santagato Studios.

The takeaway: Given February’s full slate of game launches, it’s possible that HelloFresh’s gaming-focused blitz was designed to capitalize on the buzz around newly-released titles like Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League and Plants vs. Zombies 3 (the soft launch).

• We’ll keep gathering data to find out whether that theory holds water—but in the meantime, you can always check out Gospel Stats for more insights into YouTube sponsorships, rising stars, and influencer marketing trends.

TOP STORIES 📰

• Rooster Teeth announced earlier this week that it will be shutting down after a 21-year run. (Tubefilter)
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• TikTok is bringing the Creativity Program out of beta with “some improvements” and brand-new name: the Creator Rewards Program.

  (Tubefilter)
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• MrBeast says his channel views have “skyrocketed” since his team abandoned quick-cut editing in favor of slower, storytelling-focused videos. (Tubefilter)
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• Twitch CEO Dan Clancy revealed the platform’s plan to redesign its mobile app in an open letter published March 6. (Tubefilter)

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING 📺

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen. Drew Baldwin helped edit, too. It's a team effort.