$1M in ad credits for brands, a secret Reel and Chili’s marketing masterclass

🌀 chaotic check-in

hi. it’s me. gremlin.
today I ate four expired protein bars and made some pasta. No sauce. Cause I am the sauce.
ok I’m tired. existentially.
but youtube, tiktok, instagram, and chili’s did stuff that made me feel something. hope? jealousy? spreadsheet-induced mania? maybe all three.

anyway.

crawling back into my blanket burrito. let’s serve content that slaps, screams, and sells. btw stick around - there’s a little something at the end for the ones who don’t skim. 👀

today's menu

• the Weeknd has a secret reel. facebook has $2B. and Mosseri has notes

• chili’s masterclass in modern marketing

• the consumer isn’t a moron, she’s your wife.

• don’t lie to yourself

🫖 trending tea

• tv ads could never

YouTube just dropped a three-piece suit of updates for brands, and it’s giving: “TV commercial who?” First, there's the new Creator Partnerships Hub, which is basically LinkedIn for influencer collabs. It offers brands an easier way to identify creators, access performance insights, and streamline collaboration through improved search and reporting tools. Then they’re leveling up connected TV ads with interactive product feeds, letting you shop what you see without picking up your phone. And finally - Peak Points. YouTube’s new AI-driven ad placement tool that identifies emotionally resonant moments in content and places ads precisely where engagement is highest.

• tiktok said “we’re fine, thanks” - and dropped new AI + money

At its recent NewFronts presentation, TikTok's VP of Global Business Solutions, Khartoon Weiss, confidently addressed advertisers, stating, "Our advertising business... will not change," emphasizing the platform's stability amid ongoing discussions about its future in the U.S.

Meanwhile, they’re also being ✨inclusive✨: users can now add AI-generated alt text to photos (finally), with added accessibility updates like bold fonts and better contrast options. Oh, and if you’re bored of static images? Enter AI Alive - TikTok’s new feature that makes your photos move. 

TikTok is offering $1 million in ad credits to support small businesses in the U.S. The goal? Help brands ride the creator wave and actually show up on For You pages.

• the Weeknd has a secret reel. facebook has $2B. and Mosseri has notes

Instagram just soft-launched a ✨secret code✨ feature for Reels, where creators can now post blurred Reels that unlock only when viewers enter the right password. First to use it? The Weeknd, who dropped a never-before-seen clip of his new film Hurry Up Tomorrow with the code ICANTSING (iconic). 

After launching monetization for Facebook Stories in March - with no minimum view thresholds and performance-based payouts - the platform followed up this week with a new Instagram hub: @facebookforcreators. The account offers platform tips, product updates, and promotes a cleaner content ecosystem via stricter spam policies. In 2024 alone, creators earned over $2 billion on Facebook, with short-form video payouts increasing 80% year-over-year. To be fair, Instagram for Business and Creators accounts are genuinely helpful too. Translation: Facebook is not playing around. 

extras:

 Apparently, the head of Instagram says you should post fewer than 4–5 stories a day for optimal engagement. 

Instagram now automatically translates text and captions in Reels, helping creators reach broader, global audiences.
Changing Content? Instead of starting a new account, Mosseri recommends updating followers via video, archiving old content, and testing new formats with trial Reels.
Instagram’s still testing Shared Access - so you can let someone help run your account without sharing your password. 

✨ main character moment

chili’s masterclass in modern marketing

Chili’s said “hold my Triple Dipper” and launched a multi-platform, nostalgia-fueled, meme-savvy content machine - and it’s working.

This is a full-blown masterclass in how to use influencer marketing, culture moments, and social media to stay relevant. Let’s get into it.

• nostalgia marketing, but make it tiktok

They didn’t just re-drop the “Baby Back Ribs” jingle - they brought in Boyz II Men to sing it. They turned it into a TikTok duet fest, and let the internet do its thing.

🌶️ Brand takeaway: Got legacy content? Don’t archive it. Repurpose it. If it once had cultural cachet, it can again - especially if it’s packaged for short-form video.

• the influencer collab that made people watch AND talk

Joey Chestnut. A rib-eating challenge. Live on X.
It was unhinged. It was low-budget. It was genius.
Chili’s leaned into spectacle and let the internet watch a man go feral for ribs.
Spoiler: it worked. It trended. It moved units.

🌶️  Brand takeaway: Not all influencer collabs need to be “aspirational.” Sometimes they need to be undeniably watchable. Find creators who bring attention, energy, or chaos - not just polish. Give people a reason to watch, engage, and talk.

• scroll-worthy promotions

To tackle rising fast-food prices (and general menu fatigue), Chili’s dropped “Big Smasher BurgerTime,” a pixel-style arcade game where winners score free food. Genius!

🌶️  Brand takeaway: Make promotions feel like fun, not effort. Branded games, challenges, or interactive formats can stretch awareness further than static coupon codes ever will. Above all, understand your audience!

• where memes meet menus

They opened a Chili’s in Scranton, PA and leaned all the way into The Office meme lore. Mid-2000s decor, “Awesome Blossom” on the menu, and TikTok tours galore. They built a restaurant AND a tourist trap.

🌶️  Brand takeaway: Cultural relevance > brand safety. When you tap into shared nostalgia or fandoms, you’re not “marketing” - you’re creating moments people actually care about.

• social strategy: saucy, spicy and specific

Their TikToks? Funny, fast, and slightly unhinged.

Their X? Unserious in all the right ways.

Their Instagram? Gen Z perfection.

 Their tone? “Yes we’re a chain restaurant, and yes we know how to trend. We are giving you food and jokes.” - Pure serotonin

But here’s the kicker: every moment ties back to value, product, or personality. It’s not fluff. It’s funnel.

🌶️ Brand takeaway: Be bold, reactive, relatable and real. The internet doesn’t wait for 8 rounds of legal approval. 

👀 what stopped our scroll

@tim.collins

Whats with the tapping?????? #influencersbelike #influencers #influencersinthewild #pov #grwm #comedy #satire #parody #skit #asmr

the end got me

@abc7chicago

A dog owner in Uttarakhand, India, is helping passersby summon an ‘angel’ using a helpful sign. Footage posted to Instagram account @max_t... See more

i know Max would hate to see me coming

P.S.

Ogilvy said don’t lie to your wife.

And I’m saying don’t lie to yourself.

Your influencer marketing’s not working.

We know it. You know it.

Here’s a jumpstart 👇:

Use code ScrollStopper30 for $30 and create your campaign on the house.

Claim it here.