YouTube woos brands as it promotes vlogging stars in first campaign push
YouTube has launched its first ad campaign promoting its vlogging stars as it looks to convince more brands to team up with content creators.
The campaign, which went live today (25 September) aims to showcase the best content on YouTube as well as demonstrate the opportunity for people to become content creators and for brands to harness these channels to reach their audiences.
The campaign includes a digital push focused on video, and rich media placements, including mastheads across mobile, tablet and desktop.
Ads will run on TV, print, YouTube’s homepage, Google’s own display network as well as on selected partners such as Glamour, Guardian, Wired and Sky Sports.
The campaign will be fronted by some of the most popular stars on the platform including Zoella, Vice News and the Slow Mo Guys, with each creator given a 30 second TV spot to run against TV programmes such as X Factor.
Out of home placements will include a London bus takeover, the Silicon roundabout in Old Street as well as other billboards and tube station placements in London.
Ben McOwen Wilson, YouTube partnerships director said: “Across the globe people are watching more than six billion hours of video each month, as they go online for everything from beauty and fashion advice, to gaming tips and cool stuff, to news and sports commentary.
“YouTube stars are not only entertaining us through their quirky videos and updates but building long lasting relationships with their fans. Being able to communicate directly with your favourite stars mean fans come back time and time again for the latest news and advice.”
More than 100 hours of video are now uploaded per minute to YouTube, pulling in a billion global viewers a month.
Brands are also seeing success as for the first time, three companies made it into the top 10 trending videos of the year last year and video ads on the platform are growing by more than 75 per cent year-over-year.
This week Asda revealed that brands such as P&G and Unilever are eyeing up commercial opportunities within its YouTube venture Mum’s Eye View, which acquired 750,000 views, 32,000 subscribers and over 36,000 likes comments and shares in just eight months.