YouTube Brandcast: glitz, creators and the 60-second unskippable ad

Part party, part influencer flex, but one thing is certain: YouTube is coming for more - ad dollars, influencer marketing budgets, advertising effectiveness, TV spend, and now, podcasting too.

At its 2025 Brandcast in Sydney, YouTube leaned hard into its cultural influence, with creators, music and brand showcases filling the Hordern Pavilion. Behind the glitz, though, sat a clear message: the platform wants to cement its place as the number one streaming destination for Australians and the most powerful engine for advertising effectiveness.

Australians are watching more YouTube than ever - and not just on phones. Viewing in lounge rooms via connected TV has soared. YouTube reached more than 13.3 million adult Australians on CTV in May 2025, up from 12.9 million the year before, according to Ipsos iris.

Speaking to a room full of buyers and brands, Mel Silva, managing director of Google Australia, pointed to Kantar research that found Australians believe YouTube is the best destination for entertainment.

“YouTube’s not just engaging for fans, it’s incredibly effective for brands," she said. "It gives you a powerful flywheel: great content attracts passionate fans, creating a trusted environment where your brands can achieve incredible growth.”

But the headline takeaway was the announcement of a 60-second unskippable ad, delivered when viewers are at their “peak” of attention. Powered by Gemini AI, the new Peak Points tool uses microsignals to serve ads when a viewer is most emotionally receptive.

The the 60-second unskippable ad format is being positioned as a storytelling vehicle for connected TV. For marketers, it promises scale and impact. For audiences, it’s a reminder that choice on ad length isn’t always theirs.

Other new product rollouts included, Shoppable CTV, a tool that links big-screen impact to direct action by letting audiences shop on their TV or send details to their phone. Cultural Moments Sponsorships which allows brands to own tentpole events like the FIFA World Cup or Met Gala. And Attributed Brand Searches, a measurement solution connecting YouTube ad views directly to Google search behaviour.

Another key takeaway was YouTube’s three-year sponsorship of the Effies, a strategic tie-in at a time when ROI pressure has never been higher. An interesting side note here is the Effies themselves. Last year the company was acquired by Ascential, the group behind Cannes Lions and WARC - before Ascential itself was bought by UK-based Informa, which also owns a portfolio of mega trade shows. 

Industry voices underlined YouTube’s positioning. Analytic Partners MD, Paul Sinkinson, said YouTube is in a unique position because it delivers strong short-term sales results.

"But when you add its long-term brand-building impact, it becomes the number one channel for ROI we measure in Australia," he said.

"Advertising has always worked through fleeting attention rather than needing a long play. So how do you leverage that fleeting attention? Through heavy branding, contextual targeting and contextual relevance. On their own, these might seem small, but together they create a tremendous impact.”

Julian Monty, senior investment director at Initiative, said Brandcast made clear that YouTube has firmly moved onto the big screen in Australia, with 20 million adults tuning in monthly.

“The standout message was the power of long and short content working together: shorts capture fleeting attention while long-form builds depth and trust, mirroring how brands must balance short and long-term ROI,” Monty said.

He noted two focus areas: creators and AI. “Creators remain critical in lowering cognitive load and driving emotional connection, but campaigns succeed only when built as content, not ads. In parallel, YouTube doubled down on AI and its ‘unsexy plumbing’ that quietly powers targeting, automation and campaign effectiveness.”

Monty added that the new product suite - from immersive CTV mastheads and 60-second non-skippables, to shoppable CTV and creator partnership hubs - reinforced YouTube’s message to marketers: lean into video, leverage creators and AI, and optimise for attention across formats.

Brandcast may have been heavy on influencer star power - complete with red carpets, music sets and scripted brand interviews - but the subtext was clear. YouTube wants to be seen not just as a home for creators, but as the future of TV advertising. Whether 60-second unskippables become part of that future will depend on how much patience viewers really have.

And yes, the looming debate over social media regulation hovered in the background. But if Brandcast made one thing clear, it’s that YouTube is betting big on attention, effectiveness and the living-room screen - not policy fights - as its calling card for marketers.