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If there was one shift impossible to ignore this year at Cannes Lions, it was this: creators have earned a permanent seat at the strategy table. No longer brought in to promote campaigns after the fact, they are featured alongside CMOs and industry leaders as the architects of culture, creativity, and influence. The takeaway is that the strongest campaigns won't simply include creators; they'll be built with, and perhaps for, them from day one. |
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It's a shift we’ve seen coming for the past few years. And at BMF, leveraging the right talent is a tool where we have ample access and expertise to wield from brief to execution. The team here handles the full arc from creator strategy and casting to partnership, negotiation, content collaboration, and integration across social and live experiences. We know that the most successful brand moments include talent at the top, allowing them to organically shape the experience from the start. |
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As the lines between media and influence continue to blur, creators are becoming one of the most valuable strategic partners a brand can have. The question isn't whether to bring them to the table, but whether you have the right partner to find them. |
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| | Pulse Check: The Talent Index |
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| We asked BMF's VP of Global Influencer & Creator Marketing, Hillary Beulah, for her take on the current creator landscape. Every name here represents a different stage of the same trajectory–emerging, breaking out, or already shaping culture. Audience size is only one measure of influence: what unites them is a distinct point of view, a trusted community, and real potential to grow as the creator economy evolves. Read on to see who's on Hillary's radar. ➔ |
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| BMF Connects With Jbeau Lewis & Ali Berman |
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| BMF Founding Partner, Brian Feit, sits down with UTA’s Jbeau Lewis and Ali Berman for a double feature on the future of artist and creator talent, from discovery and development to lasting cultural impact. ➔ |
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The New + The NoteworthyEverything Worth Doing/Seeing/Getting/Booking |
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| | An A-list experience with talent at its core. Kourtney Kardashian Barker's Lemme partnered with BMF client [solidcore] to celebrate the launch of its new creatine gummies through an exclusive, celebrity-attended fitness experience. The collaboration paired an intimate class with product sampling, limited-edition grip socks, and thoughtfully curated brand moments that felt authentic, community-driven, and culturally relevant. Check out lemme x [solidcore] and book your next [solidcore] class here. ➔ |
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| | The 90’s called and Gap's "The Hailey Jean" answered with their July 16 launch. Inspired by the vintage men's Gap jeans Hailey Bieber had worn for nearly a year, the Extra Baggy Jean transforms an authentic personal style into a product fans already wanted. Shop the drop before it sells out again here. ➔ |
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| | Even Selena Gomez, an A-list talent with a global beauty brand of her own, is tapping the next generation of star power. Rare Beauty named Off Campus breakout Ella Bright the first-ever ambassador for its bestselling Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, pairing one of beauty’s biggest products with one of television’s freshest faces after the series took over social feeds worldwide. See it here. Now you can blush. ➔ |
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| | The next hottest members-only club has dropped in NYC. Emcee opened Creator Headquarters in Tribeca, an exclusive space where creators and talent can meet brands, host events, film content, and build the partnerships that move their careers forward. Step inside here. ➔ |
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| | The creator-to-founder pipeline continues to grow in the beauty space. BMF client Sephora launched a new fragrance brand from Funmi Monet’s Influxious in stores on July 27. Monet’s journey from #PerfumeTok creator to founder was shaped through the Sephora Squad. The debut collection features four fragrances inspired by her Nigerian heritage, with Nigerian ginger woven throughout. Shop the launch here. ➔ |
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The FrequencyWhat We’re Listening To Now. |
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| | When two creative powerhouses team up, expectations are high. Victoria Monét tapped two-time Grammy-winning director Dave Meyers for the visuals behind her latest single, Reach Out, pairing one of music's most distinctive performers with the filmmaker behind some of pop culture's most memorable videos. Watch the video here. ➔ |
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The DestinationNow Departing… New York City |
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| | Beyond iconic skyline views and Times Square crowds, New York City’s real energy lives in the places where talent gathers, connects, and gets discovered. From Fashion Week and campaign shoots to career-defining meetings, here’s where to stay, eat, drink, and explore like an insider. Read here. ➔ |
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| | Let’s chat about how we can keep your brand in tune with the pulse of culture. |
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The SublimeCreators, Innovators, And Cool $#!+ You Should Know About. |
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| | BMF client Lamborghini knows the road sounds better with the right soundtrack. For this year's Esperienza Giro–an exclusive, multi-day driving program created by Automobili Lamborghini for supercar owners–the brand invited musician Liam St. John to Big Sky, Montana, bringing together supercars, sweeping landscapes, and one of music's rising talents for a road trip worth sticking around for. See the moment captured here. ➔ |
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| | A-list stardom increasingly extends to the teams shaping it. Across Zendaya’s recent press tours, from The Odyssey to Spider-Man: Brand New Day, longtime stylist Law Roach has transformed every appearance into a cultural moment through a run of archival, custom, and couture looks. The partnership reflects a broader shift: the creative forces behind the world’s biggest stars are becoming influential names–and faces of campaigns–in their own right. Keep up with Law’s style here. ➔ |
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| | Every year, Hollywood gets a new "who is that?" obsession. This year, it's Inde Navarrette, whose breakout performance in Obsession has turned her into one of the industry's fastest-rising talents. With a growing slate of projects and plenty of industry buzz, she's one to keep on your radar. Meet the actress everyone's watching here. ➔ |
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| | Hans Zimmer scores galaxies and battlefields and now he's scoring RAYE. "Click Clack Symphony" pairs his cinematic orchestration with her rapid-fire vocals, built around the sound of heels clicking on pavement–proof that film composers are becoming pop's newest power players, not just background storytellers. Listen to it here. ➔ |
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| | Alix Earle is trading her own camera for someone else's: "Earle Meets World," a new unscripted Netflix series, follows the 13-million-follower creator and her blended family—including sister and fellow creator Ashtin Earle—through the parts of her life she's never posted. Coming to Netflix in 2026. Read everything you need to know here. ➔ |
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| | Will Ferrell has said he's ready to retire from acting to become his son's full-time roadie. Magnus took him up on it–dropped out of USC, made bedroom-pop singles called "Asleep Talking" and “Miss Me Vendetta,” and watched his music blow up this summer after his dad snuck it onto Michelle Obama's podcast. Listen here. ➔ |
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The Week in ReviewICYMI... |
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Travel Is The World Cup The Ultimate Travel Influencer? ➔ Your Guide To New York City ➔ ELLE Escapes: New York City ➔ The Best Fall Luxury Destinations For 2026, According To Travel Experts ➔ Travel’s Creator Economy Doesn’t Need A Million Followers. It Needs Proof It Converts ➔
Fashion & Beauty The Black Talent Fashion-To-Fame Pipeline Is Real And The Met Gala Is The Ultimate Indicator ➔ The Scoop With YMU’s Mary Bekhait: A New Talent Management Division ➔ Zendaya And Law Roach Deliver Another Masterclass At The Premiere Of ‘The Odyssey’ ➔ New Talent Is Keeping The London Fashion Spirit Alive: Brands Like A Letter, Yaku, Pauline Dujancourt, And Steve O Smith Bring Energy To The City ➔ How Hong Kong Bridges Local Talent With Global Markets ➔
Entertainment ‘The Odyssey’: Ranking Every Performance In Christopher Nolan’s Film From Worst To Best ➔ ‘Pretty Lethal’ Is the Female-Led Action Movie That Actually Lets Women Go All Out ➔ ‘Dancing With The Stars: The Next Pro’ Cast: All the Dancers Vying For A Spot On Season 35 ➔ Justin Bieber, Shakira, Madonna, BTS Deliver Electric Halftime Set At World Cup Final ➔ 8 Florence Pugh Performances That Confirm Her Status As A Generational Talent ➔
Technology Variety’s Entertainment Marketing Summit Takeaways: How to Market At The Speed Of AI, Work With Creators And Make Campaigns Authentic Because ‘Fans Are Smart, It Has To Feel Real’ ➔ The Strongest Signals Yet Of Brand Storytelling’s Entertainment Future ➔ YouTube Content Creators Are Winning The AI Search Game, Jellyfish Data Finds ➔ Ghosts In The Machine AI Influencers Are Selling You Clothes, Skincare, And Workout Routines. How Can Human Content Creators Compete? ➔ Brands Using AI-Generated Influencers To Promote Products On Social Media ➔
Media Creators Go Pro: Digital Stars Bank Brand Bucks While Talent Agencies And Support Firms Proliferate ➔ How To Be Good Media Talent (And Why It Matters) ➔ Developing Talent: Broadcasting’s Biggest Blind Spot ➔ With TV News In Free Fall, Anchors Try Breaking Away ➔ How One Creative Director Became A Content Creator—And Started Bringing In New Business ➔
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