If you’ve never watched YouTuber Colin Furze, get ready to go down his rabbit hole. He is without a doubt one of the most entertaining video creators in the world.
In a recent video he builds a bicycle using hydraulic pistons for tubes, adding a pump and actuator to allow him to customize the tube lengths and geometry while riding.
It’s gloriously unsafe and weird.
But it’s the sponsor message that really got me thinking.
So good it’s bad?
This is one of the best sponsor message integrations I’ve seen…and also possibly ineffective. It starts at 3:46 and you can watch it here.
Here’s why I think it’s too good for its own good:
- It’s entertaining enough that I want to watch it; a good start.
- It shows the product and features really well, but I’m so entertained by what the host is doing that I’m not really paying attention to what he’s selling.
- It’s extremely well integrated into the content in that he flows straight into it while keeping the viewer engaged (no chance to skip!), and the entire thing is filmed in the same environment. But the sponsor’s product isn’t really relevant to what the video is about.
Here’s the thing: I’m sure that mobile game studio knows that Colin’s audience demographic is likely interested in their game. But, it’s so unrelated to what this video is about that I wasn’t really interested in what he was talking about, only in how he was talking about it.
This discrepancy doesn’t necessarily create a disconnect, but it doesn’t allow the video’s content to reinforce the product being advertised.
Altogether, this makes the sponsor and its message largely forgettable.
What’s the takeaway?
We all want to get creative and have amazing marketing content. And I applaud that…I loved Colin’s bit.
The tricky part is making sure that the humor, entertainment, or whatever other tactics you’re using will:
- reinforce your brand position
- aid brand and product recall
- make a connection with the customer
There are lots of ways to do this while still being wildly creative and entertaining. Email me if I can help you brainstorm ideas for your brand.