iWorld
YouTube ads startup FameBit buys Refame; expands brands’ access to digital stars
MUMBAI: With the advent of YouTube stars, gone are the days when brands were only obsessed with having television, film or sports celebrities as brand ambassadors to endorse their products. In today’s all pervasive digital ecosystem, anyone with enough chutzpah can catapult to fame, amass a cult following, become an instant star… and a money churning one at that. And brands nowadays are more than willing to work with these millennial influencers for branded content and endorsements.
In a scenario like this, digital stars across platforms like YouTube, Vine etc, who offer unique and differentiated content to a host of followers on the world wide web, have caught the fancy of many a specialised companies. And they’ve left no stones unturned in milking these cash cows.
Armed with a vision to expand its offerings, FameBit, a marketplace which connects brands to YouTubers for branded content and endorsements, has now acquired the video marketing agency Refame.
Specializing in super-short-form videos, Refame creates branded videos starring Vine, Snapchat and Instagram personalities. Last year, the company pulled together a roster of social influencers who reach 40 million people across their channels and profile pages.
FameBit, which is on track to reach a billion subscribers by the end of 2015, will now add Reframe’s roster of creators to its platform. The acquisition also means that FameBit now has access to more digital platforms in the social video marketing business apart from YouTube.
FameBit’s platform boasts of more than 10,000 creators across YouTube, Vine, Snapchat and Instagram, collectively reaching more than 450 million subscribers. According to the company, YouTubers have submitted more than 100,000 proposals to brands for product integrations through FameBit till date. In July last year, the company helped brands create more than 1,000 videos and paid out more than $500,000 to creators by October.
“This is a defining moment for FameBit. We see Refame as a natural addition to the long-form content our influencers are currently creating and we are excited to incorporate it into our platform. By expanding our reach to content marketers on Snapchat, Vine and Instagram, we’re giving brands the opportunity to speak to audiences across other creative platforms in ways that are most impactful and appropriate for each one of those platforms,” said FameBit co-founder and CEO David Kierzkowski.
With the kind of fan following digital stars enjoy, brands now know how valuable they can be as content creators and endorsers. FameBit has already connected YouTube creators with brands like L’Oreal, Adidas, JustFab, Hint and Dollar Shave Club. It’s just a matter of time before more and more brands hop on to the digital stars’ bandwagon in order to pull in and connect to its customers.
iWorld
Samay Raina returns with Still Alive, confronts 2025 controversy in bold comeback special
Comeback set tackles controversy, blending humour with raw storytelling
MUMBAI: Samay Raina is set to release his new stand-up comedy special, Still Alive, on YouTube on April 7, 2026, marking a high-profile return following a turbulent year.
The trailer for the special dropped on April 5, offering a glimpse into what Raina describes as a raw and unfiltered set that leans as much on honesty as it does on humour.
Positioned as a comeback of sorts, Still Alive draws heavily from the controversy surrounding his show India’s Got Latent in early 2025. The episode led to legal trouble, multiple FIRs, and a lengthy six-hour interrogation by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, placing the comedian at the centre of intense public scrutiny.
Rather than sidestep the episode, Raina leans into it. The special reflects on the fallout and his personal journey through it, blending observational comedy with moments of emotional candour. Early audience feedback from live performances suggests the tone is less about rapid-fire punchlines and more about storytelling with bite.
The special was filmed during his global Still Alive & Unfiltered tour, which ran from August 2025 to early 2026. The tour saw Raina perform across major international venues, including the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York, a milestone that places him among the youngest Indian comedians to take that stage.
The title itself signals resilience. “Still Alive” is a nod to navigating both legal and public backlash while choosing to remain unapologetically authentic, a theme that appears to anchor the set.
With the special set to premiere online, all eyes are now on how audiences respond to a performance that promises equal parts reflection and wit. For Raina, the message is clear. He is not just back, he is ready to be heard on his own terms.
