Instagram Launches Its Own "Oscars" for Creators

Instagram is launching a new award for creators — a program designed to celebrate genuine creativity and artistic expression within the platform. However, judging by the promotional visuals, the rollout looks more like the trailer for a psychological thriller than a celebration of creative excellence. Despite the eerie design choices, Instagram insists that its new “Rings” initiative is all about spotlighting originality — giving recognition to those who push creative boundaries rather than those simply chasing trends or gaming the algorithm. As Instagram explains: “One theme we hear from creators all over the world is the excitement and nervousness that come with making something and putting it out into the world. It takes courage to chase an idea, quiet that inner critic, and create anyway. This award is for the creators who don’t just participate in culture—but shift it, break through whatever barrier holds them back to realize their ambitions. Because every act of creativity, big or small, can lead to something great.” To identify these standout creators, Instagram has assembled a panel of well-known personalities to serve as judges for the awards.  While some choices on the panel — such as Instagram head Adam Mosseri or rugby player Ilona Maher — might raise eyebrows in terms of their connection to creative arts, the panel will collectively nominate their picks for top Instagram talent. The selected winners will receive both a gold ring displayed on their profile and a physical gold ring designed by Grace Wales Bonner, adding a tangible element of prestige to the recognition. Interestingly, there’s no open submission process. Creators cannot apply or nominate themselves — selections will be made solely by the judging panel. In addition to the symbolic gold ring, winners will also gain access to a few exclusive customization features: the ability to modify their profile backdrop color and even personalize the “like” button in some way — though Instagram hasn’t fully clarified what that entails. It’s an intriguing idea, though its impact as a motivational tool may be limited. Since participation is by selection only, it won’t necessarily drive broader creator engagement or encourage newcomers to post more frequently. The recognition seems intended more as a tribute to established creative voices already active on the platform rather than as an entry point for emerging talent. That said, exclusivity breeds prestige. The gold ring badge could quickly become a sought-after status symbol within the Instagram community — a visual cue of credibility and artistic respect. If Instagram follows through with dedicated promotion of the winners, featuring them prominently in feeds, Stories, or discovery surfaces, the award could grow into a coveted mark of distinction. However, in its early stages, it may struggle to resonate widely — more curiosity than cultural milestone. Whether “Rings” evolves into a meaningful creative honor or just another quirky Instagram experiment will depend entirely on how seriously the platform commits to elevating and showcasing its chosen recipients. 📢 If you're interested in Facebook Ads Account, don't hesitate to connect with us!🔹 https://linktr.ee/Adshinepro💬 We're always ready to assist you!

YouTube is rolling out a new initiative aimed at helping advertisers, particularly those investing in Connected TV (CTV) campaigns, get more from their ad spend. The platform has unveiled its “Activation Partners” program — a curated list of approved third-party providers equipped to enhance and optimize YouTube ad performance.  As outlined by YouTube, this new program introduces a network of trusted partners who can assist brands and agencies with everything from buying strategies to campaign management — ensuring that advertisers extract maximum value from their YouTube investments. “From brands to agencies, we know many advertisers look to a diverse network of providers across the industry to support their media buying needs on YouTube. This is why we’re launching the YouTube Activation Partners program — to bring together a collection of trusted third-party partners with expertise in buying strategies and campaign management to help advertisers get the best results out of their work with YouTube,” the company explained. While the program covers YouTube advertising more broadly, its initial focus will be on CTV campaigns, as YouTube now holds the title of the #1 streaming platform in the U.S. This milestone represents a major opportunity for advertisers seeking TV-like reach with digital flexibility, and YouTube’s approved partners will be positioned to guide brands through this evolving landscape. Each partner in the program brings a unique specialization — from data-driven media buying and placement optimization, to AI-powered targeting, contextual insights, and advanced measurement capabilities. Collectively, they’re designed to provide advertisers with a more sophisticated toolkit for scaling performance and efficiency across YouTube’s ecosystem. For marketers looking to elevate their YouTube strategy — particularly as CTV continues to blur the lines between traditional broadcast and digital streaming — partnering with one of these certified providers could offer a strong competitive edge. And with CTV now delivering television-level reach combined with digital precision, YouTube’s Activation Partners may well help brands unlock a new tier of branding and awareness potential across the platform’s growing video landscape. 📢 If you're interested in Facebook Ads Account, don't hesitate to connect with us!🔹 https://linktr.ee/Adshinepro💬 We're always ready to assist you!

A quick heads-up for advertisers across Europe: Meta has now begun enforcing its ban on all political, electoral, and social issue advertising within the European Union, as the company moves to comply with new regulations governing political promotion in the region. Back in July, Meta outlined how the EU’s forthcoming Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) law would impose stricter obligations on digital platforms, particularly concerning the use of personal data in political ad targeting. These new requirements, according to Meta, make it unworkable to continue running such ads across its platforms. The TTPA mandates that platforms obtain explicit, separate consent from each individual user before their data can be applied to political or social issue campaigns — a requirement that Meta says is simply unmanageable given its massive user base. As a result, Meta has chosen to suspend all political, electoral, and social issue ads across the EU. The regulation officially takes effect on October 10, meaning that Meta’s block on these ad categories is being implemented this week. As Meta explained: “Earlier this summer, we shared that Meta will no longer allow social issue, electoral or political ads in the European Union in response to the EU’s Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising regulation. Unfortunately, the TTPA introduces significant obligations to our processes and systems that create an untenable level of complexity and legal uncertainty for advertisers and platforms operating in the EU, so we had to make this difficult decision.” The suspension officially began on October 6 at 6 p.m. CET, and Meta clarified that the move will not affect political or social issue ads shown outside the EU. “We will continue to provide our industry-leading verification and transparency tools globally.” Meta has consistently pushed back against what it perceives as excessive regulatory interference from the EU. This latest move underscores the company’s long-standing tension with European lawmakers — particularly around issues of data privacy, content moderation, and platform accountability — and its belief that such measures could stifle political discourse and disrupt the flow of information across its networks. The company has even urged the U.S. government, particularly under the Trump administration, to advocate against what it sees as overreaching European regulation. So far, however, Washington has not taken any direct steps to pressure the EU on Meta’s behalf. That said, several American officials have voiced concern about Europe’s increasingly restrictive approach to tech regulation and hinted that retaliatory measures could follow if U.S. businesses are perceived to be unfairly targeted. For now, though, Meta insists it has little choice but to comply. The company’s priority is to stay aligned with EU law — even if it means cutting off a major ad category that has been central to public discourse on its platforms. Advertisers working through Meta’s API or other campaign management tools will need to make immediate adjustments to reflect the ban. So, at least for now, political and social issue advertising on Meta platforms in the EU is officially off the table — another example of how tightening regulation is reshaping the digital ad landscape in Europe. 📢 If you're interested in Facebook Ads Account, don't hesitate to connect with us!🔹 https://linktr.ee/Adshinepro💬 We're always ready to assist you!