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Nearly 70% of Gen Z say finfluencers shape their money decisions, and brands are taking note. Claire's is riding a viral squishy hunting trend by enlisting creators and building social-first content for Gen Alpha. AMC is testing TikTok as a premiere window, dropping a full comedy episode in 21 short-form clips. And YouTube's latest Culture & Trends report shows independent animators are now outpacing studios with younger viewers, opening new sponsorship lanes for advertisers.

TikTok star Khaby Lame named ambassador the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, Griffin Johnson, a 26-year-old, transformed from a nursing student to a venture capitalist by leveraging his massive TikTok following and co-founding the Sway House content collective, and Creator Alix Earle launched her Reale Actives skincare brand with a sophisticated, multi-faceted strategy that moved beyond simple virality. Meanwhile, YouTube introduced a new feature allowing creators to like video comments in bulk, enhancing efficiency for high-volume channels.

Aerie extended its "100% Aerie Real" campaign and will creators to amplify the message starting in April. Jeopardy is debuting a YouTube-exclusive edition with creators like Rebecca Black and Monét X Change competing for charity. And a TikTok creator went viral after spontaneously riding his horse through a Chick-fil-A drive-thru in Florida.