Welcome to Created, the newsletter that shows up weekly…unlike that package Amazon swore was ‘out for delivery.’ Here’s what we got today:
- How YouTube’s new tools will change the platform
- Can The Try Guys bring BuzzFeed back to life?
- Best YouTube thumbnails
YouTube Launches 30+ New Creator Tools
YouTube just announced 30+ new features at Made On YouTube in NYC.
I was on the ground and sat down with CEO Neal Mohan for his first interview since the announcement. Here are three key takeaways every creator should know:
1. Dynamic Brand Moments
YouTube just rewrote the rules for sponsored integrations.
Before: Brand integrations were burned into the video. Meaning once the video was uploaded, it’s there forever.
Now: With Dynamic Brand Moments, creators can add or swap out integrations after upload.
That means you can:
- Replace & resell old sponsors with new ones
- Swap integrations once they hit certain thresholds
- Move integrations to different parts of the video
Plus, YouTube rolled out clickable brand links in Shorts — giving creators even more control in their brand deals.
2. Creator Collabs
For years, collabs on YouTube were duct-taped together with playlists and shoutouts. Now YouTube’s making it a dedicated feature.
The new Collab Tool lets you tag up to four creators (plus yourself) on a single video — instantly pushing that video into their audiences’ feeds.
We spoke to Sticks and Jack Gordon, who tested the collab tool on Shorts with Mark Rober. The result? Their videos were a 132X and a 21X outlier, respectively.
And it’s not just for creators. As Mohan told us in our interview:
“If you’re a creator, you can collaborate with other creators, but you can also collaborate with a brand or a sponsor — that’s another use case that I’m super excited about.”
3. AI Tools Everywhere
- Ask Studio: An AI copilot that answers hyper-specific questions like “Why did my last video bomb?”
- Instant Shorts Clipping: AI finds highlights in long videos and turns them into Shorts in seconds.
- AI B-roll for Podcasts: Audio-only creators can auto-generate visuals instead of static waveforms.
Mohan’s stance on AI content overall?
“I don’t think a piece of content should be penalized just because it was created with AI. There’s going to be amazing content that is produced with AI and being short-sighted about it, I think, is not good for the creator ecosystem.”
Why This Matters
Of all the 30+ updates, Brand Dynamic Mentions is what creators need to pay the most attention to.
Brand deals are often the backbone of a creator’s income. But until now, once you sold a video integration…that was it.
With Dynamic Brand Mentions, integrations can evolve with your channel.
Sponsors can be resold as your views climb for higher rates. Brands can rotate in seasonal campaigns throughout the year. And creators can test different versions of an integration to see which converts best.
This means a sponsorship deal isn’t just a one-off deal anymore, it’s a flexible asset creators can resell and renegotiate over time.
BuzzFeed Brings Back The Try Guys
BuzzFeed Video was once the internet’s go-to for viral videos and listicles. But in 2024, their main YouTube channel went quiet for over a year.
Now it’s back — and they’re leading with nostalgia.
The Big Play
BuzzFeed has relaunched its flagship YouTube channel (19.8M subs) with a slate of new and returning shows.
Headlining the comeback? The Try Guys — the breakout group that once defined BuzzFeed’s golden era before leaving in 2018.
BuzzFeed says it’s bringing “new voices, fresh shows, and the same signature humor reimagined for a whole new generation.”
Translation: win over Gen Z while reminding Millennials why they subscribed in the first place.
What’s New (and Old)
- Try Guys with Puppies: The former BuzzFeed stars return for a one-time throw back interview with dogs in their laps.
- Feed Feud: Millennials vs. Gen Z trivia show on internet culture.
- And That’s Why I Walked Away: Weekly episodes about creator burnout — a very Gen Z theme.
Our Take
BuzzFeed has been struggling for years — selling off First We Feast in 2024, shutting down BuzzFeed News, and leaving its once-dominant YouTube channel dormant.
Now, BuzzFeed’s reboot leans on the very creators who once left to build their own empires along with a cast of new faces. But the bigger question is — can Buzzfeed retain this new talent?
Buzzfeed is known for its ability to build stars (The Try Guys, Safiya Nygaard, & the Worth It crew) — but they all ultimately left to start channels of their own.
Should Buzzfeed keep trying to grow talent in house? Or does this foster a new era of partnering with existing big creators?
🎯 Weekly Roundup: Thumbnails
Why we love these YT thumbnails:
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- Water jug turned into a $28 jetpack is so absurd you have to see it fly (Connor Creates)
- Retro layout + bold “Edit Like Vox” text makes the style instantly recognizable (Lilly’s Tech Tips)
- Court diagrams comparing tennis, padel, and pickleball show the shift in sports trends (Tifo Sports by The Athletic)
- Split face showing 400 vs 18 years visualizes aging in a striking way (Browney)
🚀 Weekly Outlier
This video by 2.06am has 1.6M views, which is 8.8 times higher than the channel’s average. Here’s why it took off:
- High-Stakes Relatability: Everyday trucking problems — broken lights, wrong turns, near misses — feel tense and real.
- Authentic Chaos: Raw, unpolished reactions make it feel like you’re in the cab, living the stress alongside the creator.
- Unexpected Entertainment: What could’ve been mundane logistics turns into a drama-filled road trip with humor, frustration, and relief woven in.
🏆 The Created Referral Program
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Trust me, these books are packed with more tips than most paid courses.
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