creators got drunk, forgot the brand... and somehow made it go viral

hi peeps,

i got one thing to tell you: it’s been wild.

a secret TikTok project. an Instagram loophole. and Meta’s little recruitment scheme that got…exposed.

can we PLEASE get one week without social media turning into a telenovela? no? okay then.

scroll. before they shadowban me for ✨knowing too much.✨

In the latest plot twist of TikTok’s “Will They/Won’t They Get Banned?” saga, multiple reports say the platform is prepping a U.S.-only version of the app, codenamed “M2,” with its own algorithm and user data storage, aimed at avoiding a potential ban tied to ByteDance’s ownership. According to Reuters, The replica app could be ready by September. 

TikTok denied the report, calling it “inaccurate and misleading”. But they did NOT deny that a U.S.-compliant version of the app is in development.

And then came Trump’s letter. He sent Apple a spicy little note demanding they keep TikTok on the App Store despite pending legislation to ban it, calling the move “anti-free speech.”

TikTok is also scrambling to avoid a Canada shutdown over national security fears

It has introduced a new ad objective called Brand Consideration, designed to help brands engage users who aren’t quite ready to convert – but are curious enough to pay attention. According to TikTok’s official policy, these ads are expected to clearly present your brand’s value and highlight why someone should take the next step. They’re particularly useful for encouraging thoughtful exploration, especially in categories like beauty, fashion, tech, and consumer goods.

TikTok also released a helpful infographic and overview guide explaining how the format works, what creative performs best, and how to align it with other objectives in your campaign strategy.

TikTok dropped a report on how Gen Z and Millennials are discovering high-end brands through vibe-first content instead of traditional ads. Brands like Prada, Moncler, and even Mercedes-Benz are winning with raw, creative content that puts storytelling over polish. 

They launched TikTok Sans, a custom open-source typeface that’s now the app’s official font across web and mobile. 

TikTok now lets you schedule posts right inside the mobile composer.

Also, if you’re a publisher or live-streaming brand, TikTok just released official LIVE best practices. 

And it now limits captions to just 5 hashtags per post. Strategy just got a little tighter.

YouTube is testing Ask Studio, an AI-powered creative partner that helps creators brainstorm video ideas, refine formats, and answer channel growth questions, all in natural language.

YouTube's Studio now lets some creators A/B test video titles, not just thumbnails

It’s long-awaited mobile video editor is officially rolling out to iOS after hitting Android earlier this year. It’s built to simplify Shorts editing with advanced trim, cut, and overlay features.

YouTube rolled out a feature that lets creators share channel audience insights directly with advertisers. This means smarter deals, more transparency, and fewer “Can you send us a screenshot?” emails. Big win for creators doing brand collabs.  

In a move to shift user behavior, YouTube has removed the Trending content section from homepage feeds and sidebars. Trending still exists, just not where you used to find it. 

YouTube Shorts = 200 BILLION daily views. It is officially flexing as the most-watched short-form platform.  If you weren’t taking Shorts seriously before - now’s the time.

It also added a new “Search & Explore” hub in their Help Center to explain how discovery works on the platform. Transparency? In this economy? Love to see it. 

Instagram just got Googleable

Everyone’s panicking about this one, so let’s set the record straight.

Instagram is now allowing Google to crawl public posts, Reels, carousels, and videos.
BUT: that doesn’t mean they’re actually showing up in search results. Google still decides what it surfaces. 

Meta just launched Marketing Messages – a new way for brands to reengage customers directly in DMs.

Leaked internal docs suggest Meta is building a supercharged AI chatbot platform that aims to offer personalized coaching, therapy-style convos, and business support. The twist? It’s allegedly trained on your convos across Meta platforms.

The leaked messages also reveal a behind-the-scenes tug-of-war between Meta and OpenAI, where Meta is accused of poaching top AI researchers by offering huge compensation packages and promising more freedom to publish their work. OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, reportedly called out Meta’s approach as “unethical,” citing a lack of transparency and coordination in the recruitment process.

Meta has also recruited Apple’s Head of AI, signaling a major shift in how seriously Meta is investing in its AI roadmap. 

They dropped a new Reels Ads Playbook for both Instagram and Facebook – basically a cheat sheet on how to win with vertical video.

Meanwhile, Instagram’s Edits app added new features to the Ideas Tab, making it easier to organize and track content ideas. Also new on Edits: more detailed post insights, audio controls, more sharing destinations for your content.

 Instagram is rolling out the cross-app engagement feature to more users

Why Is Everyone Screaming “Nothing Beats a Jet2 Holiday”? Jet2, a UK budget airline, dropped a peppy ad in 2022 featuring Jess Glynne’s Hold My Hand and a cheery voice yelling, “Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday!” But in classic internet fashion, TikTok twisted it. Instead of glamorous travel vids, the audio now backs travel nightmares turning the jingle into the unofficial anthem of summer disaster-core. Basically, Jet2’s cheesy ad became meme royalty. And honestly? Nothing beats that.

TIME magazine just released its inaugural TIME100 Creators list, spotlighting the most influential names shaping the digital culture landscape. It’s a big moment for the legitimacy of creators as cultural leaders – not just content machines.

Big brands are finding success co-creating products with influencer-entrepreneurs and celebrities. An example gaining buzz this summer is Oreo’s partnership with pop star Selena Gomez to launch a limited-edition cookie. She helped craft a horchata-inspired flavor, designed custom embossments (including “Selenators”), and even signed select cookies – the first celeb autograph ever on an Oreo. The collab supports her Rare Impact Fund and is already selling out, proving that authentic, creator-led products can drive both hype and impact.

One brand booked flights to paradise.
The other bottled a TikTok obsession.

In early July, two very different influencer campaigns exploded online. One was chaos wrapped in tequila. The other was trend-savvy brilliance in a soda glass. Both tell us something essential about modern marketing and human behavior.

WATERBOY – THE TRIP THAT WENT OFF THE RAILS

It was supposed to be a vibe.
Waterboy, a hydration brand built around recovery, flew top TikTok creators – Kennedy Eurich, Brandon Edelman, and more – to Tulum for a weekend of curated content. But when TikTok lit up with videos of hangovers, day drinking, and barely a whisper of product… the comment sections revolted.

Critics called it out for missing the mark. 

The irony was obvious – Waterboy sells electrolyte drinks meant to prevent hangovers, yet the influencers were joking about being drunk and ill while barely mentioning the brand’s hydration packets.

Waterboy’s CEO, Mike Xhaxho, soon took to TikTok to defend the campaign. He argued that over-branding would feel inauthentic. He also did a sarcastic TikTok video with the social media manager.

Now here’s the twist:
Despite the chaos (or maybe because of it), Waterboy reported its best sales week ever – across Amazon, Target, and Walmart. It became a living paradox.

Psychology at play:

It all started with a curiosity loop. TikTok users leaned in. The content triggered that familiar sense of online sleuthing – when something feels off, and everyone wants the full story. 

And as it unfolded, the irony became the hook: a wellness brand at the center of a party-fueled trip, with hardly a product mention in sight. That contrast – between brand promise and reality – sparked moral dissonance. People called it out, debated it, dissected it. 

But while the criticism spread, something else kicked in: FOMO. The more people talked, the more others wanted to try it themselves. The backlash didn’t just create attention – it created action. Curiosity turned into clicks.

SHARKNINJA x DIRTY SODA – THE TREND THAT BECAME A PRODUCT

While Waterboy wrestled with chaos, SharkNinja tapped into TikTok culture with laser focus.

Dirty soda – soda mixed with cream, flavor syrups, fruit– was already blowing up, thanks to MomTok creators like Jen Affleck and Demi Engemann. SharkNinja noticed.

They didn’t just sponsor the trend, they collaborated. In June, they launched four Dirty Soda Packs compatible with their Ninja Thirsti® Drink System. Each flavor combo came from the creative minds of Jen and Demi, mixes like Cola‑Black Cherry‑Lime and Tropical Pineapple‑Raspberry‑Lime. They sold like crazy. 

Psychology at play:

This campaign hijacked an existing trend, riding the momentum of dirty soda’s rise without needing to manufacture hype from scratch. By framing influencers as co-creators rather than just promoters, it added credibility and trust – audiences saw them as part of the product, not just selling it.

The design made mimicry easy, inviting people to recreate what they saw online with minimal effort. And at the heart of it all was belonging: the feeling that by participating and joining a bigger cultural moment.

 Head-to-Head Breakdown

Two stories. Two very different roads to virality:

One chaotic, controversial, revenue-generating storm.
One smooth, trend-aligned, replicable success.

Both successful in their own ways.

92% of consumers trust content from people over brands.
UGC drives 4× higher click-through rates and cuts CAC by up to 50%.
Influencer marketing ROI is 11x higher than banner ads.

But here's the thing — great creators don’t just show up in your inbox. You need a pipeline. You need the platform.
That’s where JoinBrands comes in.
300K+ vetted creators - ready for your brand!

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