Today streaming video giant, Hulu, launched its own search engine designed solely for the purpose of finding the perfect GIF.
Interestingly enough that is not hyperbole, as the search engine is literally called “The Perfect GIF.” The Perfect GIF is built on the Tumblr platform, already one of the preeminent homes for animated GIFs, but it is not a typical Tumblr blog.
The Perfect Gif allows you to search for GIFs by tags, TV shows, reactions, and actions being performed. So the next time you need just the right GIF to illustrate your #facepalm feels, you know where to turn.
If you’re thinking at this point: “Couldn’t I already search for GIFs on Tumblr if I wanted to?”
Yes, but there’s a limit to what regular users can publish with respect to copyright. Hulu’s advantage is that it owns an entire catalog of licensed content, which it can turn into GIFs and share for other people to use.
The catch to these free GIFs is that they’re watermarked with Hulu’s logo, and the logo of the show the GIF is from, so it all comes back to being a marketing tool for Hulu. Although if you don’t mind the watermarking, you now have a new resource for GIFs to use on social media.
In total, there are over 1400 GIFs in the search engine’s database, which feature clips from shows throughout Hulu’s library.
According to the Terms of Service, GIFs can be used on either Tumblr, Twitter, or Pinterest. You can go ahead and use them however you want on those networks, as long as you’re not profiting from them (i.e., making something else out of the GIFs and then selling your creation).
Hulu’s database of GIFs is going to be updated within days or weeks of a new episode’s air date, length of time will depend on the content. So if you saw a priceless expression on Gotham last night that you need to have as a GIF, it sounds like you won’t have to wait long.
In addition, GIFs from Hulu’s back catalog will be added on a daily basis.
