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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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