Good morning. After two viral red carpet meet cutes over the last couple years, Amelia Dimoldenberg and actor Andrew Garfield finally sat down for one of the most anticipated “Chicken Shop Dates” to date. Addressing the duo’s undeniable chemistry, one commenter wrote, “This video is either an absolute masterclass in acting or a public declaration of true love, there's no in between.”

— Hannah Doyle & Nate Graber-Lipperman

TikTok Shop Enters Creator Manufacturing

Creators looking to launch their own products now have a potential new partner: TikTok Shop, according to Business Insider.

Catch up: Most TikTok Shop sellers are third-party companies, but TikTok also operates its own marketplace where it directly sources products from manufacturers and manages shipping and ads for brands in-house.

Now, TikTok is connecting those manufacturers with creators to build their own products, with hopes these tie-ins will drive more Shop sales on the platform. 

Context: TikTok isn’t the first company to enter the creator manufacturing space.

• Startups like Pietra and Warren James help creators source materials and make merchandise to sell to their audiences. 

• Pietra charges a monthly fee of between $14–$99 depending on a creator’s needs, while Warren James makes multi-year licensing deals with creators or takes an equity stake in their businesses. It’s unclear what TikTok’s take for the new program will be.

Looking ahead: TikTok continues to push its Shop feature, from offering steep discounts and seller studio space for livestreams to increasing its cut of sales to 5–8% back in April. 

The initiatives have sprouted a cottage industry of TikTok Shop coaches and UGC creators—though many creators find that product quality on TikTok Shop is still hit or miss.

US Creators Found Amplifying Russian Propaganda

In April, self-described independent journalist (and former TV host) Ben Swann launched a 12-part video series on X, Instagram, and other creator platforms that promoted conspiracy theories against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy—while the Russian government was paying Swann to spread its talking points.

Context: In 2022, Swann’s production company, Rebel Media Productions, disclosed compensation of more than $6 million from RT (a TV network run by the Russian government) over a two-year span.

Why it matters: Right-wing influencers (including Donald Trump Jr. and Chaya “Libs of TikTok” Raichik) with a collective following of 33 million on X amplified Swann’s series, according to an analysis by the Associated Press last week.

• Swann dropped the Zelenskyy series as Congress was deciding whether to increase military assistance to Ukraine in April.

• At the time, two Republican representatives told news outlets that some of their more far-right peers in Congress were parroting Russian talking points (similar to Swann’s) in their arguments against a proposal to further support Ukraine.

Zoom out: Last month, federal officials charged two Russian operatives with covertly paying US creators to spread pro-Russia propaganda across YouTube, TikTok, and X.

Those creators claimed they were unaware of the Russian operatives’ involvement—but the controversy spurred conversation regarding regulation and transparency about where creator-led media companies get their funding.

Sponsored by The Webby Awards

Create Your Mark on Internet History

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Last year, the Webby’s generated 12 billion impressions from global media, and 80% of winners reported driving new business.

Participate in the internet’s biggest night. From comedy to gaming to music, creators across a variety of new individual categories will be honored. Plus, showcase your work in front of a who’s who of judges, including:

• Amelia Dimoldenberg, Host & Producer, Chicken Shop Date; Founder, Dimz Inc.

• Adrienne Lahens, TikTok’s Global Head of Content Strategy & Operations

• Desiree Perez, CEO of Roc Nation

Don’t miss out. For best pricing, submit before the Early Entry Deadline this Friday, October 25. Enter now.

Jake Paul Set to Open 25 Sports Bars

Veteran creator and boxer Jake Paul announced a 25-unit franchise deal with sports bar chain Dog Haus last week. The partnership launched with four new locations in Texas and will soon expand to Florida and Puerto Rico, according to Restaurant Dive.

Zoom in: Paul brings both marketing chops and cash to the Dog Haus board of directors, which he joined as part of the deal.

• The chain has struggled in recent years, with unit volumes for its biergartens dropping from $1.8 million in 2021 to $1.66 million in 2023.

• Paul, who’s expected to earn $40 million from his upcoming boxing match with Mike Tyson, is playing a central role in fueling Dog Haus’ expansion plans.

Zoom out: Creators have attached their names to restaurants in various ways, from the Sidemen building IRL locations for their dine-in fast food chain Sides to MrBeast operating ghost kitchens for his burger brand.

Paul’s Dog Haus deal appears more in line with prank creator Danny Duncan’s partnership with froyo chain 16 Handles—which experienced double digit sales growth one year after Duncan became a minority owner and franchisee.

👀 Creator Moves

• Educational creator Aprilynne Alter is hiring a creative producer to help with production and scaling her YouTube channel.

• Ali Abdaal is looking for a YouTube producer based in Hong Kong.

• Jesser is hiring a producer for his Reacts channel.

Looking to bring on new team members? You can post opportunities on our (free) job board here.

🔥 Press Worthy

• Bluesky says it added half a million users in one day last week.

• Penguin Random House prohibits the use of its books to train AI.

• X alters its block feature.

• Creator database Gondola adds Threads analytics to its creator tracking dashboard.

• Shorts are now featured in the main YouTube Trending charts.