Some became famous through sharp comedy. Others relied on flashy rapping or parody news segments. There were the playback performances and the exaggerated macho posturing. It didn’t matter if the content was brilliant or just plain bad. What united them was an astronomical volume of clicks. This traffic built massive brand recognition. And for many, it means they can actually eat off their view counts. These are the new YouTube stars.
The Content Machine
Consider the cholerous man screaming at a stranger. He yells about sleeping in the garden because it is clean. It sounds like a scene from the German reality show Frauentausch (Women Swap). It isn’t. It is a parody by web comedian Torge, known online as Freshaltefolie. This Schleswig-Holstein creator plays an alter ego named Sandra. She stumbles from one social faux pas to the next. The character has already gathered 334,000 subscribers.
Comedy is also the engine for the trio Y-Titty. These three guys from Franconia have been parodying everything since 2006. They mock advertisements, movies, and TV series. They also cover pop hits with aggressive, masculine lyrics. Fans love them. Y-Titty now boasts over 550,000 subscribers. They lead the pack of YouTube artists by this metric.
But comedians and singers aren’t the only ones at the top. MrTrashpack from Bremen covers industry news. His clips titled “WuzzUp” report on what is happening around YouTube itself. Then there are the Slimani siblings. They give advice on hygiene, fashion, and university life. They track trends and explain them.
Talent is not always required for internet fame. Look at Lynne and Tessa. These two high school graduates rose and fell between 2006 and 2007. They performed playback shows from their bedrooms. In a year, they topped video charts. RTL II even gave them their own show. That show ended their careers in one blow.
On the flip side, you can stay at the top with less talent and more machismo. Assi Toni from Offenbach proved this. He gets over ten million views. It is simply volume that dictates what is popular.
The Business of Viral Content
Every success story started as a joke. For some, it stayed that way. For others, it became a job. MrTrashpack, whose real name is Philipp, is a retail merchant. He told Spiegel Online that he works up to 70 hours a week on his news clips.
Staying in business requires more than just filming. You must produce content and maintain a presence on Facebook and Twitter. You need to nurture fan relationships. Joe Penna, a Brazilian director who became a star in the US with unconventional music videos, explained this dynamic in an interview with Stern.
The main advantage for YouTubers is freedom. They do not answer to a director’s whims. They do not need to convince film studios or TV networks to greenlight projects. They make what they want.
The business model is straightforward. Google now owns YouTube. The platform places ads in highly clicked channels. Successful filmmakers share in the revenue through a partner program. The potential is huge. Today’s kids do not turn on the TV when they get home. They turn on the computer.
