Welcome to our rundown of the most-watched branded YouTube videos of the week.
We’re publishing this snippet of a larger Gospel Stats Weekly Brand Report in order to analyze sponsorship trends in the creator economy. Any video launched in tandem with an official brand partner is eligible for the ranking.
And – as the name up above would imply – all the data comes from Gospel Stats. If you’re interested in learning more about Gospel – and which brands are sponsoring what creators on YouTube – click here.
Subscribe for daily Tubefilter Top Stories
There’s more than one way to make a brand deal. Sometimes, creators unlock unique opportunities because brand partners buy into their winning personalities. In other cases, a sponsorship is adjusted to fit the life experience of the creator who is accepting the deal. Both of those strategies can deliver results, but the former tactic put Ryan Trahan in the driver’s seat in the latest Weekly Brand Report. Did he get there because MrBeast didn’t put out a shiny new video this week? Maybe! But hey — it still counts the same.
#1 I Tried Every Seat on the Most Expensive Airline
Channel: Ryan Trahan
Brand: Shopify
“The Residence” is a hot topic in the world of online video. That’s the name of the most expensive seating tier available on Etihad, the Middle Eastern airline known for its luxurious offerings. For a recent video, Ryan Trahan took a spin in the Residence (but not before he sat in all of the other seat options Etihad has on offer). The clip harkens back to Casey Neistat’s viral stay in The Residence five years ago. Despite the opulence Trahan experienced in the Residence, he has a humble sponsor: Ecommerce brand Shopify.
#2 One (Clever?) Way to Stop a Motorcycle Chase
Channel: Midwest Safety
Brand: SafetyVid
Let’s travel from the Middle East to the Midwest. For more than a decade, the Midwest Safety channel has served as an outlet for local journalism investigations. Moving violations are particularly common sights on Midwest Safety, and the channel recently hit the jackpot by depicting a speeding ticket gone wrong. More than 6.8 million views have already gone to a video that pits multiple police cars against a defiant motorcycle driver. Some of those millions of viewers will want to check out the video’s sponsor, where crash footage can be downloaded for journalistic purposes.
#3 I bought the most MINIMALIST Tech ever.
Channel: Mrwhosetheboss
Brand: Surfshark VPN
What if you took technology but stripped away all the bells and whistles? That’s the question Arun Maini asked for a recent video on his Mrwhosetheboss channel. The tech reviewer found the most minimalist computers, phones, and teapots he could locate — and then he put them to the test. To help pay for all of these hi-tech, zen-inducing gadgets, Maini enlisted longtime sponsor Surfshark VPN, which also showed up attached to one of his previous Weekly Brand Report appearances. The two make a good pair, and Maini’s wallet should thank Surfshark for its service.
#4 The Worst Internet Gun Fails #14 – The Darwin Awards
Channel: Brandon Herrera
Brand: BulletSafe
Brandon Herrera is trying to become the first YouTuber elected to U.S. Congress. The gun enthusiast is currently engaged in a runoff election in Texas’ 23rd Congressional district (at the time of this post, Herrera trails in the polls). Herrera may not have the credentials one would expect from a typical political candidate, but he has talents other Congresspeople lack. For starters, he can get millions of views by reviewing firearm fails. With right-wing content taking off on YouTube, Herrera is well positioned to reap the benefits, even if he falls short in his Congressional bid.
BONUS #1,779 Reserve Flight Attendant Life | I KNEW This Would Happen!
Channel: Jetting Julia
Brand: Klook
Let’s close out this report by looking at a sponsored video that’s basically the opposite of Ryan Trahan’s chart-topping effort. In Trahan’s case, he leveraged his social media following to unlock special access on a commercial flight. Jetting Julia, on the other hand, has leveraged her special access on airplanes — she’s a flight attendant — to build a significant social media following. Her tales about her adventures in the sky have led to collabs with travel brands like Klook, a things-to-do database that attached itself to one of Julia’s recent videos.
…and there’s a lot more data where that came from. If you’re interested in learning more about Gospel – and which brands are sponsoring what creators on YouTube – click here.