Credit: YouTube
Media agencies have offered a largely positive response to the 2025 YouTube Brandcast in Sydney last night, pointing to a more deliberate commercial strategy, better story telling and sharper answers to questions around ROI.
The event also marked 20 years since the launch of the streaming platform and framed its next stage of growth as ‘videos by default’, backed by creator-led content, AI-powered insights and product updates such as non-skippable 60 second ads and shoppable connected TV formats.
“YouTube delivered a well-rounded presentation… a firm pivot to their role in the future of video and, importantly, how YouTube can deliver real business outcomes for brands,” managing director, government at UM, Lisa McMillan said.
The platform’s full funnel ambitions were also highlighted, covering connected TV (CTV) shoppable formats and performance media powered by DV360, all delivered in one ecosystem.
“YouTube’s ability to drive both long-term brand growth and short-term performance was a key message,” McMillan said.
“The platform offers a full-funnel solution including CTV, a new 60-second non-skippable format and shoppable formats too, powered by DV360, in the one ecosystem.”
McMillan also noted a more confident performance pitch from the platform.
“It was a deliberate, direct message about effectiveness. They’re not just selling reach, they’re selling business outcomes,” she said.
Kirsty Kapp, head of media partnerships, OMD Sydney, said Brandcast 2025 centered on storytelling, with a strong focus on driving effectiveness by engaging with local creators and talent at scale.
“This approach aligns with YouTube’s challenge to marketers to make ‘video the default’ and engage with audiences who champion ‘diverse content that shapes culture’,” she said.
“The overall approach to market this year addressed concerns around measurability and effectiveness, with products that could demonstrate clear ROI and Brand uplift. Video as the future was also a convincing proposition with a clear challenge to marketers to think about video as a must have.”
She said YouTube’s shoppable CTV update, already live in the U.S., should help cement its role in broader marketing efforts.
“We see this as a crucial step for our brands, directly connecting content, paid media, and consumer behaviour to better understand YouTube’s role within the wider marketing mix,” Kapp said.
Kapp also pointed to AI’s increasing influence, not as a flashy tool, but something more useful and quietly powerful.
“It’s a game-changer, giving us the opportunity to align brands with a video’s most emotional moments, enabling us to connect with consumers at the perfect time,” she said.
Both Kapp and McMillan suggested the event didn’t throw any major curveballs, but the platform shift in tone, especially around AI, was of note.
“YouTube did present a more deliberate take on AI than we’ve seen before,” Kapp said.
“Shifting away from past pressure to adopt AI immediately, they clarified its role as foundational, the ‘unsexy plumbing’. Instead of positioning AI as a fully-fledged generative tool, they encouraged marketers to ‘steer into creators and use AI to scale’.”
“That framing, foundational, not futuristic, helped AI feel less like a threat, and more like an enabler,” Kapp said.
“It’s clear YouTube wants to be a partner in how brands grow through content, not just a platform that hosts it.”
Caitlyn Grant, performance lead at This is Flow, described Brandcast as ‘a fun mix of nostalgia and future-gazing,’ highlighting YouTube’s scale and dual approach to video formats.
“The biggest ‘wow’ for me was just how large YouTube’s viewing hours are per day: over one billion globally, and mighty Kiwi’s alone are racking up 1 million hours,” Grant said.
Grant added that Brandcast clearly communicated the platform’s split between long and short form video.
“CTV is for the long game, Shorts for those quick wins. It was YouTube saying: don’t put all your ads in one basket, spread them across screens,” she said.
Grant flagged the key ad updates as standout features.
“The 60-second non-skippable ads really stole the show for me, it opens up the opportunity to tell a story without being cut off. The watch out will be whether more users opt in for YouTube Premium because of the user experience,” she said.
“Shopping on the big screen via Shoppable CTV is a game-changer for ROI-hungry clients.”
Grant also highlighted new measurement tools.
“Attributed Brand Searches connect YouTube exposure with search behaviour, proof that people don’t just watch, they act,” she said.
On YouTube’s approach to AI, Grant said there was a real sense of laying the foundation in creative builds and using Gemini to find ‘peak points’ to serve ads when people are most engaged.
Grant’s top takeaways for media planning were clear.
“The 60-second ads are a sleeper hit, they’re the most effective for action, which kind of flips the short-is-always-better myth,” she said.
“But there’s always a time and place for them.
“(And) the ‘ocean of video’ analogy stuck with me, it’s crowded out there, and we need to learn to swim or sink.
“And the way YouTube broke down long-term versus short-term strategy by device was super useful.
“Big screen equals brand-building marathon; small screen equals sprint to short-term action. The sweet spot is the combination of both.”
Mark Zala, digital partner at Avenue C, said YouTube hit the right notes in celebrating creators while also pushing deeper commercial intent, though some issues remain unresolved.
Zala said new product reveals were slightly underwhelming.
"The much-anticipated 60-second non-skip ad format, long whispered about in agency circles, got a brief nod, hardly a surprise," he said.
"YouTube’s AI drumbeat was louder, with Google hinting that ads will soon be “enhanced” by AI.
"If it’s anything like Meta’s AI creative tweaks, expect brand managers and creative agencies to choke on their oat lattes."
Zala said what wasn't highlighted spoke the loudest.
"The elephant in the room, YouTube’s creeping ad load, was conspicuously absent," he said.
"It’s a hot topic in agency land, and the silence on stage was deafening. Still, as media investors, we’re doubling down on YouTube next year. Its unmatched reach and attention on the big screen remain a goldmine for brands, despite the ad fatigue risks.
"YouTube’s betting big on revenue but ignoring viewer tolerance could push users to competitors. We’re watching closely."
YouTube’s broader ‘video-first’ message and creator-led focus drew cautious optimism from media agencies, who now have to plug it into future planning and strategy.
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