Announced during Cannes Lions 2025, Open Call is YouTube’s latest initiative aimed at bridging the gap between brands and content creators. In an era where the creator economy is booming—marked by increasingly long, polished, and engaging content—opportunities for brand collaborations abound. But for advertisers, the abundance of creators can be overwhelming. Who should they work with? Where do they find the right talent? YouTube’s new tool aims to answer those very questions.
Over the years, YouTube has steadily built a framework to structure brand-creator collaborations. At the heart of this effort is BrandConnect (formerly FameBit), a platform designed to simplify partnerships by connecting advertisers with the 3 million+ monetized creators in the YouTube Partner Program. BrandConnect streamlines sponsored content deals, manages performance tracking, and facilitates direct communication between the two parties.
Now, YouTube is taking things further with Open Call, a new feature within BrandConnect that flips the traditional model of collaboration. Until now, most partnerships were initiated by brands who identified and reached out to creators. With Open Call, the process becomes more democratic and flexible.
Here’s how it works: brands can post an open brief on the platform describing their campaign goals. Creators, in turn, can respond with tailored video ideas that align with the brand’s objectives. The goal is to invite more agility, creativity, and diversity into the mix—opening the door to unexpected proposals and fresh perspectives.
The benefits are twofold. For brands, it’s an opportunity to discover new, sometimes under-the-radar talent without spending time manually scouting. As Melissa Hsieh Nikolic, Director of Product Management at YouTube, explained in a blog post: “With our new Open Call feature, we’re making it even easier for brands to identify and collaborate with creators who resonate with their audiences—at scale.”
For creators, especially emerging voices, Open Call provides a proactive way to pitch ideas and land brand deals. Rather than waiting to be approached, they can now take the first step—demonstrating their creativity and vision while building new professional relationships.
Currently being tested with a select group of advertisers, Open Call is expected to roll out more widely in 2026. YouTube plans to fine-tune the system based on early feedback, ensuring a smoother experience before expanding it across its network.
With this initiative, YouTube continues to position itself at the core of the creator economy—offering tools that not only connect people, but empower them to build meaningful collaborations in a digital world where content and commerce are more intertwined than ever.
