Why Clients Need to Get on Board with New Channels

By Jacquie Kostuk, FUSE Create, VP-Strategy

Advertisers, it’s time to be brave and be the first to reap the rewards of leaning into the growing appeal of niche platforms, especially in gaming (like Twitch and Discord) and creator‑driven subscriptions (such as the controversial and increasingly popular OnlyFans).

Why venture into the unfamiliar? These channels sit at the intersection of engaged users, passionate communities, and novel executions, so brands stand out in an infinite‑scroll culture. The hassle of explaining a new media environment to your client’s boss can’t be an excuse when it bullseyes their desired target. Remember how long you were wary of Reddit before it became table stakes?

Gaming ecosystems prove how quickly “niche” becomes mainstream culture. It’s far from the clichés of yesteryear and popular amongst youth AND adults. Twitch’s creator partnership model is reportedly 10–20x more effective than its programmatic formats, and the YSL MYSLF men’s fragrance campaign showed what happens when a non‑endemic brand shows up as part of the play, not an interruption—122% sales lift and 11K+ chat engagements off a gamified livestream, not a pre‑roll. That is content‑and‑context alignment in practice, with viewers choosing to participate in the story rather than skipping it. Plus, Twitch is Amazon owned which can extend your campaign across its ad network and links you to a trusted channel.

Discord’s Quests format takes the same principle further. It’s a value exchange, not passive impressions. For Marvel Snap, rewarding play with in‑game perks drove 96–99% Quest completion rates and a 30% reduction in cost‑per‑install, making it one of the most measurably efficient formats in gaming right now. Across Roblox and Fortnite, hundreds of brands activated in 2025, while Gen Z and Gen Alpha reportedly spend roughly 39% more time in these worlds than on TikTok plus YouTube combined, signaling that “in‑game” is no longer experimental for most categories.

Within these environments, the practical guidance becomes simple. Provide in‑game value through ranks, skins, emotes, XP and collabs so players become a walking virtual billboard because you’ve unlocked something they actually want. Which ironically isn’t just virtual in game OOH. Integrate with persistent chats, weekly rituals, and real‑time streams; places where feedback is brutally honest and where the host is both entertainment and parasocial relationship, with platforms like Twitch adding the Amazon Ads’ engine behind the scenes.

OnlyFans, meanwhile, is still a bit of an internet Wild West, but the strongest brand use case is what you might call the “content asylum.” Nimbi razors, now Erewhon’s top‑selling personal care brand, used OnlyFans to publish shaving tutorials that TikTok’s moderation rules made impossible elsewhere, turning a hands‑off content policy into a home for niche education and conversion. Because the platform lacks a true discovery engine, it acts as a gated, opt‑in destination for superfans rather than a reach vehicle. It’s closer to a subscription CRM channel than a broad awareness buy.

Some brands have explored OnlyFans as a VIP access hub rather than leaning into explicit content. Rebecca Minkoff created a Fashion Week behind‑the‑scenes channel that treated the platform as a gated fan‑club space, offering exclusive behind the scenes rather than Not Safe For Work material. Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s “Hot and Hand‑Breaded” launch played lightly on the platform’s reputation with suggestive, food‑themed videos—but stayed on the right side of brand‑safe for an already‑provocative QSR. Urban Decay’s “Battle the Bland” collaboration with creator Ari Kytsya, TikToker and Adult Content Creator, pushed the envelope further, earning ~17M views on a hero video and major trade buzz, but also drawing criticism from women’s and family groups. A reminder that OnlyFans creator partnerships fit rebellious or scrappy brands far better than mass or family CPG.

For subscription communities like OnlyFans, Patreon, or Substack, the playbook is about exclusivity and co‑creation, not scale. Offer exclusive content, early access, direct co‑creation opportunities, and brand‑safe breakthrough moments where simply showing up in an unexpected channel becomes the coverage. Adult‑skewing brands in alcohol, nightlife, sex wellness, and edgy beauty & fashion can tap OnlyFans creators if they enforce strict age‑gating, keep creative platform‑specific, and avoid actively targeting teens. While family‑oriented CPG, health, finance, and trust‑centric brands are better served steering clear of those creator collaborations altogether. Better safe than brand reputation sorry.

The beauty of both gaming and creator ecosystems is that no one is there just to kill time; they’re there to learn, belong, or build, which means they’re actively aware of your brand message. Attention elsewhere is hyper‑fragmented and tab‑hopped. These community‑first spaces are high‑dwell, purpose‑driven, and better aligned with a world where people prefer relationship based media over volatile mass channels.

To make your first move, treat it like any new innovation in tech, in fashion, in culture, etc. Lurk to learn the norms, participate by adding real value, then earn the right to build spaces of your own that members enjoy over the long term. Work with legal on the what‑ifs, commit to never just interrupt, and enjoy the ride. Because this is content, not just ads, and the reward is a new definition of awareness: repeated, relevant brand presence across the many roles your audience plays, from manager to gamer to subscriber.