YouTube centers creator ads: YouTube last week announced a series of new and updated ad tools tied to creator collaborations and YouTube Shorts. In a blog post outlining the ad tools, Melissa Hsieh Nikolic, the director of product management for YouTube Ads, said the platform’s partnership ads (which allow advertisers to leverage creator videos in their ad campaigns) are now available to all advertisers globally, and creators can contact brands to initiate those partnerships rather than waiting for advertisers to reach out to them. YouTube Select Creator Takeovers, which allow advertisers to temporarily buy out the ad inventory on a creator’s channel, are also now available to all U.S. advertisers.
Creating businesses
“Hawk Tuah” girl starts a dating app: Hailey Welch, the originator of the viral “Hawk Tuah” meme, last week unveiled her latest business venture—an AI-powered app offering dating advice for everything from first date outfit suggestions to which zodiac signs a user is most compatible with. The release of the app, called “Pookie Tools,” comes just two months after Welch launched her “Talk Tuah” podcast.