YouTube is making it easier for advertisers to tap into its vast creator ecosystem with the launch of Open Call, a new feature introduced this week at Cannes Lions 2025. Built into YouTube BrandConnect, Open Call lets brands post campaign briefs that any eligible creator in the YouTube Partner Program can respond to with custom video pitches.
The aim is straightforward: streamline the process of hiring creators by enabling broader outreach and faster decision-making. Brands review the submitted videos and select which ones they want to promote as partnership ads. From there, YouTube provides tracking tools to monitor campaign performance, all within the same interface.
Melissa Hsieh Nikolic, director of product management for YouTube Ads, positioned Open Call as a growth tool for both brands and creators. “Open Call gives creators of all sizes the opportunity to pursue new relationships with brands,” she said in the company’s announcement.
YouTube is initially limiting Open Call access to select advertisers, with a broader rollout expected in the coming months. For now, it’s a clear signal that YouTube is investing heavily in scalable creator-brand partnerships. The move follows other recent platform updates like Insights Finder, which leverages AI to match creators and brands more intelligently, a feature spotlighted during the 2025 NewFronts and Upfronts.
As creator Haley Kalil, who has over 7.6 million subscribers, put it: “Creators know their online communities really well, so giving us as much creative freedom as possible is key to any successful brand partnership.”
