TOGETHER WITH

It’s Wednesday and if your TikToks make Billie Eilish feel Happier Than Ever, you might just end up on in the artist’s new “Fan Spotlight.”

AGENTS OF CHANGE

TikTok is donating $1 million on behalf of creators who inspire “meaningful change”

The program: TikTok is putting its money where its mouth is. In a recent Newsroom post, the platform announced the launch of a Change Makers program that will lend support to “social impact creators” and nonprofits.

• The program’s first creator cohort will include well-known stars like Brunch With Babs host Barbara Costello, celeb photographer Kara Lewis, and “medical mythbuster” Joel Bervell. Together, those Change Makers will embark on a six-month “social impact creator elevation program” designed to help them “build engaged communities” and unlock real-world opportunities.

The funds: Creator support is only one aspect of TikTok’s new endeavor. The platform has also established a $1 million Change Makers Grant, which will provide $25,000 donations across 30 nonprofit organizations on behalf of each of the program’s 50 creators.

The context: The timing of TikTok’s latest act of philanthropy is no coincidence. As the platform prepares for a legal battle against the U.S. government, it has increasingly deployed charm offensives to cement its position as a force for social change and free expression. The Change Makers program is just one example; in addition to supporting a 50-creator cohort, TikTok is currently celebrating users who have inspired social change through the #TikTokforGood tag.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

From authentic content to cutting-edge campaigns, Viral Nation creators are changing the face of influencer marketing

Partnerships with creators are more beneficial to brands than ever before; in fact, UGC campaigns score 29% higher conversion rates on average (Search Logistics). 

Viral Nation gets it: as the world’s leading influencer agency, their team is devoted to connecting brands with creators who share their values, goals, and target audience.

Meet the latest creators to come aboard:

Matthew Merril 🍰
Millions of fans have followed Matthew Merril’s journey through series like Kids Baking Championship, Holiday Baking Championship, and Chopped Junior. Now, the creator is bringing viewers along as he attends the Cornell Hospitality program.

The Rapping Chef 🎤
When he isn’t dropping mouthwatering recipes or sick beats with Gordon Ramsey, Joshua Williford collaborates with brands like Denny’s and appears on shows like Tamron Hall, Access Hollywood, and Nick Cannon.

Steven Wommack 🪡
From studying International Fashion Retail to interning at Hugo Boss, clothing brand founder Steven has collected a wealth of ecommerce expertise—and a fanbase of 4.2M followers.

Mama Karls 💪
Since 2016, Karly Mathias has turned her lifestyle and fitness content into a media empire encompassing collabs with Bloom, Brooklinen, SKIMS and HelloFresh.

Viral Nation creators tailor campaigns to viewers who take their opinions seriously. Hit the link below to learn more:

Explore Viral Nation’s roster → 

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• In a recent episode of The Decoder, Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that YouTube is actively investigating whether OpenAI used creator-made content to train Sora. (Tubefilter)
  

• A new filtering tool will give Twitch viewers the ability to blur thumbnails attached to “content labeled with a Sexual Themes CCL.” (Engadget)
  ​

• Users in the U.S. will soon begin seeing ads beneath Google’s AI-driven search result summaries. (The Verge)
  ​

• Meta is joining forces with Coinbase and Match Group to form “Tech Against Scams,” a new coalition designed to defend consumers from online fraud. (Engadget)

DATA • GLOBAL TOP 50 📈

5 million subscribers think this channel is the cat’s pajamas

The famous feline: If you’ve scrolled through Shorts recently, then you already know the impact one furry friend can make. Animal icons like Hammy and Olivia and Oscar have reeled in billions of views across TikTok and YouTube. Now, Bima Cat is joining the ranks of those popular pets.

The strategy: The Turkey-based feline in question is the star of COSEFNASTYA, a channel run by pet parents Nastya and Kadir. Together, the three Shorts stars have entranced 4.5 million subscribers with mischievous antics and dialogue-free skits. The channel’s top videos, however, have less to do with Bima Cat’s fuzzy features and more to do with her humans’ impressive social media savvy.

• Nastya and Kadir have a knack for capitalizing on the latest short-form trends. Their viral videos often incorporate popular meme formats, well-edited transitions, and trending sounds—a strategy that has earned them the approval of YouTube’s ever-mysterious algorithm.

The stats: With individual Shorts scoring well over 100 million views, it’s no wonder Bima Cat’s parents have pawed their way into the latest Global Top 50.

• Over the last week alone, COSEFNASTYA scored a whopping 252.4 million views.
  
  

• In total, that seven-day sum represents a 25% week-over-week increase.
  
  

• The result: Nastya and Kadir’s feline-focused hub rose to #47 in our ranking of most-watched YouTube channels.

SEELOS THE SCIENCE GUY

Underscore Talent’s new STEM division will include a boatload of top science creators

The announcement: Talent manager David Seelos is bringing his roster of top STEM creators to Underscore Talent. Michael Reeves, William Osman, TheBackyardScientist, NileRed, Code Bullet, Emily the Engineer, Tom Stanton, PeterSripol, and other science stars will join the agency as part of a new STEM, Learning, and Education division.

• That move will arm Underscore with plenty of star power. Altogether, Seelos’ academically-minded roster claims a collective audience of 30 million YouTube subscribers.

Seelos also worked with Osman and Ian Dokie to build Open Sauce—a STEM convention that will bring an estimated 150 creators, 500 exhibitors, and 20,000+ attendees (including us!) to San Francisco next month—before opening his own talent management firm.

• That firm (AKA End Card Digital) was founded in 2019 by Selos and Dokie to sign creators that “build, educate and entertain.” Now, Seelos says the company will be phased out as he brings his roster to Underscore.

The implications: With Seelo at its head, Underscore’s new division could play a significant role in the growth of YouTube’s ever-expanding STEM community. As Underscore co-founder/co-CEO Dan Weinstein told Tubefilter, Seelo’s “strong relationships with brands and agencies, coupled with a vast network of talent, have been central to his success”—and, by extension, that of his star-studded roster.

WATCH THIS 📺

You’ve never seen a flipbook like this before

The art form: A basic flipbook can be assembled with a pile of construction paper and a few colored pencils—but that’s not the way Andymation operates.

• Over the last few years, creations like “the smallest flipbook animation in the world” and “the world’s blackest flipbook” have attracted nearly 5 million subscribers to the Missing Link animator’s channel.
  
  

• Fellow flipbook makers will find more than inspiration in Andymation’s videos. Among his other projects, the creator has launched an app that allows users to share their animations with other enthusiasts.

Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.​

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