I’ll admit it: I’m a bit of a YouTube hipster. I started watching and being a part of the YouTube community back before advertising on the site was even an idea. Why would any business advertise on it? It was just a place for people to upload videos and troll about on their merry way. But YouTube has evolved into a serious platform full of content creators with huge followings and popular video series sparking jealousy in network TV executives.
Not all of we hardcore ‘Tubers were initially pleased with the buyout by Google, but a lot of great things have come from it, even if they mostly benefit the content creators through ad revenue. According to YouTube statistics, the site has more than 1 billion users. Every day, people watch hundreds of million hours of videos, and 300 hours of video are uploaded every minute. Those numbers make companies salivate. In 2013, U.S. YouTube net advertising revenue was $1.02 billion dollars, which is expected to be $3.32 billion by 2017, according to a YouTube Net U.S. Ad Revenue 2013-2017 report from eMarketer.
With pre-rolls, in-search ads, and in-stream pop-ups, some content creators get carried away. But this blog is here to celebrate three of my most-watched subscriptions and give them a pat on the back for mastering ads and product placement in their videos.
Fleur DeForce
Fleur has a prominent lifestyle and beauty channel with 1,273,584 subscribers. Her popular blog and channel has given her traction in the makeup and fashion world, and now brands are giving her products to try and review. Although YouTube’s ad policy recommends YouTubers to be straightforward about promoted content, some creators are not upfront with sponsored videos. This always backfires and often causes followers to lose trust and interest in their messages. Fleur, on the other hand, is a total pro with promoted products and endorsements.
The titles of Fleur’s videos always say “ad” if they include sponsored content, and since she mixes endorsements with other products, her videos are never just 10-minute ads. In the info bar of the above video, there is a full disclaimer stating, “This video contains paid-for product placement from Simple (Unilever) via Mode Media. All opinions remain my own, and I never work with brands whose products I don’t use and love myself.” Kudos to Fleur!
Rhett and Link
From their local commercials, morning shows, and music videos it’s not surprising that Rhett and Link’s top three channels (Rhett & Link, Good Mythical Morning, and Good Mythical More) combined have 12,028,361 subscribers. The “Internetainer” duo have always been straight-up pros when it comes to sponsored content. In an interview with USA Today, Link said, “We always tell our audience that the brands enable us to make videos that we wouldn’t be able to make without the money they provide.” Here are a couple of examples of their awesomeness:
When AdWeek and Ad Age talk about you, you know you’re doing something right! In 2009 Rhett and Link started creating “I Love Local Commercials,” which were free, low-budget commercials for quirky companies throughout the U.S. These videos turned into a TV show on IFC called “Commercial Kinds,” and many of them began going viral, like the video for Chuck Testa’s Ojai Valley Taxidermy Company.
“T-shirt Wars” was a commercial for Rush Imprint shirts, but quickly went viral with 2 million views in just two weeks. Of course, when a video idea is this good, big companies want to get in on it. Their second T-shirt war video was sponsored by McDonald’s and Coca-Cola.
Their popular series “Will It…” on “Good Mythical Morning” features Rhett and Link testing strange ingredients in various common foods like ice cream sandwiches, tacos, and their most recently sponsored snack, Hot Pockets. The Mythical Beasts (Rhett and Link’s nickname for their audience) suggested different types of food that could be used instead of the Hot Pocket bun. This was a perfect way to bring in sponsored content that didn’t feel forced.
Rhett and Link are masters of incorporating products into their content that doesn’t bore or make you want to yell “sell out!” at your screen. 200 points to Gryffindor!
Vlog Brothers
The Vlog Brothers are in a YouTube space of their own — and their 2,568,124 subscribers love them for it. Vlog Brothers began as a way for brothers Hank and John Green to connect with each other while living in different states. If the name John Green rings a bell, you probably recognize him as the author of several popular young adult novels, including “Paper Towns” and “The Fault in our Stars.” Their videos educate, inspire, and are sometimes just random. The duo is all about giving back with their Foundation to Decrease World Suck, Project for Awesome, and the fact that all pre-roll advertising revenue goes to charity. The money raised is split between their foundation and initiative to fund educational videos.
So check them out, watch a full ad, feel good about it, and don’t forget to be awesome.
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Hurrdat is a Lincoln, Neb. digital marketing agency specializing in social media and content marketing. The company was founded in 2010 and merged with B² Interactive of Omaha, Neb. in 2014 bringing even more digital marketing specialties to both firms’ clients. Together they provide a full range of social media, SEO, and website development services to both national brands and local clients. The companies employ more than 75 people in Nebraska and have won multiple awards for their business efforts, company culture, and clients’ campaigns.
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