TOGETHER WITH

It’s Thursday and Mark Zuckerberg is going all in on his cool guy image. His latest strategy for blending in with the youths: streaming video games on Twitch.

Today’s News

BIG MAC ON CAMPUS

McDonald’s is launching a Chicken Big Mac—and Kai Cenat is the official taste tester

The partnership: Kai Cenat is McLivin’ the dream. The record-breaking Twitch streamer has been tapped by McDonald’s to serve as the official taste tester for its Chicken Big Mac, a new menu item that arrives at U.S.-based Mickey D locations today.

As part of that partnership, Cenat and his “famous friends” will offer their “unfiltered reactions” to the Chicken Big Mac on stream. The first of those videos—which appeared on Cenat’s YouTube channel over the weekend—has already garnered responses from fellow creators like Daym Drops.

The strategy: Joining forces with Cenat is only part of McDonald’s marketing plan. The fast food giant has also teamed up with Chain (a dining company co-founded by actor B.J. Novak) to introduce its new menu item at a one-day Los Angeles pop-up called McDonell’s. The idea is to make the Chicken Big Mac seem a little more elevated, while simultaneously reaching fans through their favorite creators:

That strategy is nothing new. Influencer partnerships have become increasingly common in the industry in the fast food industry as chains seek to reach Gen Z through creators like Jimmy Donaldson (who lent his brand name to Zaxby’s “MrBeast Box”) and Keith Lee, who inspired Chipotle’s “Keithadilla.” 

The creator: McDonald’s Big Mac campaign isn’t a first for Cenat, either. The creator’s blockbuster streams have made him an attractive partner for global brands (though as of October 1, he no longer owns Twitch’s most-subscribed account). Most recently, Cenat inked a deal with Nike and showed up alongside Snoop Dogg in a T-Mobile commercial.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

Heads up, gamers: Something big has arrived on OpusClip

OpusClip has already helped 6M+ users create short-form clips in seconds. Now, the world’s #1 AI clipping platform is putting the power in your hands—with a tool that can transform any footage into Shorts, TikToks, and Reels based on a single prompt. 

Turn hours-long gaming streams into dozens of Shorts and TikToks with ClipAything.

All OpusClip subscribers now have free access to Clip Anything. Here are 4 reasons to start your subscription:

1. Clip Anything creates short-form clips from both talking and non-talking footage, so you can highlight the best parts of any playthrough.
   
   

2. Looking for a high-stakes boss fight? Clip Anything can identify actions, people, and emotions in seconds. Simply type in prompts like ‘compile the most suspenseful battle scenes’ or ‘find the part where I win the game’ to generate social media-ready clips.
   
   

3. Never scroll through hours of footage again. A short prompt is all it takes for Clip Anything to find the funniest chat moments—so you can clip entertaining highlights and reactions in seconds.
   
   

4. Clip Anything knows who you’re looking for. Search for ‘the video game character in red armor’ to create Shorts featuring specific members of your party.

Hit the link below to score a free month of OpusClip:

Sign up for OpusClip →

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• A new study from Pew Research Center found that U.S. adults are turning to TikTok for news—but they’re not getting it from the accounts of traditional media outlets or journalists. (Tubefilter)
  
  

• The Kamala Harris campaign courted young Twitch viewers this week by streaming World of Warcraft gameplay (courtesy of creator Preheat) alongside a live speech from VP nominee Tim Walz. (Engadget)
  ​

• YouTube has responded to rumors regarding apparent changes to pre-roll ads by reassuring users that it is “not hiding the skip button.” (The Verge)
  ​

• X is changing the way it pays creators. The platform has announced that payouts will now be based on “engagement with your content from Premium users” rather than “ads in replies.” (The Verge)

GOING LIVE

TikTok Shop wants U.S. sellers to learn from Asia’s booming ecommerce market

The format: Can TikTok convince U.S. Shop partners to embrace live shopping? So far, sellers have been doubtful that Western buyers will embrace the format with the same enthusiasm as their Asian counterparts—but bridging that cultural gap could be crucial to the platform’s success in the U.S.

Live shopping is one of the principal formats driving the $18 trillion global ecommerce industry. TikTok’s Chinese counterpart (aka Douyin) is at the forefront of the Asian market, with shoppable streams contributing to ByteDance’s $25 billion profit in 2022.

The summit: In hopes of translating that success across the Pacific, TikTok recently gathered Shop partners at its Culver City headquarters to discuss topics like studio space and other live shopping building blocks. (The platform itself has already begun establishing live shopping studios in the States.)

The California event welcomed attendees representing 200 agencies, who participated in panels, brainstorming sessions, and conversations with TikTok staffers. One attendee, Trndsttrs founder Jake Bjorseth, told Business Insider that “probably 60% to 70% of the discussion was around live stream.”

The response: Despite that programming, some summit attendees expressed skepticism about the potential of Chinese-style live shopping streams on the U.S. version of TikTok Shop. Many Western sellers have found success through on-demand videos rather than streams—a cultural difference that has hampered ByteDance’s ability to expand its ecommerce empire outside of Asia.

But despite that disconnect between TikTok and Shop sellers, American consumers are starting to become amenable to live shopping: according to Statista, live e-commerce sales in the U.S. reached an estimated $50 billion dollars in 2023. By 2025, social commerce will be a $100 billion business in the U.S. (per eMarketer).

NO NUTS ABOUT IT

Ever wondered what it’s like to take LSD? Head over to Nutter Butter‘s TikTok account to find out.

The rebrand: Nutter Butter’s official TikTok account is 100x nuttier than what you’re envisioning. For over a year now, @officialnutterbutter has been uploading nonsensical videos featuring glitched-out screenshots, lofi horror memes, and the occasional shrimp. And they’re doing really, really well.

The 10 videos Nutter Butter posted last month have collectively earned almost 90 million views—in large part because TikTok users are wondering WTF is going on. Internet sleuths determined to solve the puzzle have latched onto one particular video, which includes the sentences “You have been visited by the Nutter Butter Man” and "This post was brought to you by Aidan.”

The story: But who is Aidan? And why did he decide to turn a classic childhood snack into an eldritch horror? To answer those questions, The New York Times got ahold of three people behind the content, including Zach Poczekaj, Social Media Manager for Dentsu Creative, which manages Nutter Butter’s accounts. His explanation for Nutter Butter’s fever dream marketing approach was surprisingly simple:

Poczekaj told the Times Nutter Butter pays close attention to comments on its videos, and includes more of the elements that drive audience reactions (especially when it comes to character development). Viewers go especially nuts for the Nutterverse’s main character, Aidan: on one video, there are over 100 comments pointing out that “this is where it all began” with Aidan, and theorizing that he is, in fact, “the Nutter Butter Man”.

It’s no surprise that Nutter Butter’s creepy lofi narratives are catnip for viewers. Videos featuring found footage analog horror do very well on YouTube, while TikTok creators like Drew Talbert have attracted millions of followers by posting character-driven sketches.

WATCH THIS 📺

TommyInnit just trolled Lunchly with a “better-for-you” vape parody

The parody: There’s a new chapter in the controversy surrounding MrBeast, KSI, and Logan Paul’s “healthier” Lunchables alternative (aka Lunchly). In true chaotic neutral fashion, YouTuber TommyInnit decided to re-stoke the flames by releasing a parody video advertising his own “better-for-you” product: Vapely.

The eighteen-minute sketch has already attracted a slew of tongue-in-cheek comments, with viewers gleefully joining in on the fun. Even fellow creator Doctor Mike—who recently posted his own video on the widely-questioned nutritional value of Lunchly—chimed in to joke that his “medical response is now live.” Check out TommyInnit’s full video here (or head over to Tubefilter to brush up on last month’s Lunchly news).

Want to introduce your brand to Tubefilter’s audience? Sponsor the newsletter.

Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.​

Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Drew Baldwin, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen.