since when does anyone ever actually press ads in videos anywhere anyways
That's not how adverts really make their money.
They don't expect people to see the advert and decide then and there to buy the product.
On the internet they might lead to websites where you can purchase their products, but they mainly act the same way as adverts do on the radio or on TV.
You see the advert, the product gets lodged in your memory, at a later time when you find yourself in need of a similar item you think of the advertised one, because you know of it.
Or you pass the item in a supermarket or something and choose it because you've seen it before.
Adverts are long-term investments. They don't pay out immediately. And the more often people see your advert, and the more memorable it is, the more money it makes for you in the long run.
And when there are YouTubers out there who get hundreds of thousands, or even millions of views regularly on their videos, it's just as big a pay-off as when Advertisers use big TV shows, like the Superbowl.
