Casey Neistat and Youtube 🕶
Immediately upon reading this week’s topics and seeing the word “Youtube” one specific individual popped into my head. And that is Casey Neistat.
Casey Neistat is a filmmaker / entrepreneur / content creator / influencer / youtuber / badass from New York City. He utilizes the platform so effectively that he’s essentially the poster boy for Youtube. Currently, Casey Neistat has 6,610,514 subscribers (and counting), a total of over 1,495,579,528 total views, and each of his videos has well over a million views. THAT IS INSANE. What launched Casey into his Youtube stardom is the ways in which he revolutionized daily vlogging.
Honestly, before discovering Casey Neistat’s daily vlogs, I thought vloggers and the whole idea of vlogging was the dumbest thing ever to the point it made me cringe. It just seemed so dull to me and made me question “WHO CARES!?????” — also not to mention some vlogs I’ve seen were so poorly shot and edited. Immediately, I became captivated after seeing Casey’s Mercedes commercial project and Nike’s #makeitcount commercial.
Casey Neistat is a mastermind on Youtube. His vlogs are incredibly engaging not only in the way that they’re filmed but also because of his ability to narrate and storytell. He elevated the idea of a vlog to whole new levels to create something of truly high quality. He pioneered the combination of using a Canon 80D, Rode microphone, and gorilla pod to the point that every vlogger and Youtube content creator is using the same or similar setup. His use of timelapses to transition from one time of day to the next can also be seen replicated in so many other Youtube personalities and content. Additionally, his sunglasses and a Boosted Board have become a key staple in his brand identity.
His videos are certainly engaging, the viewer develops a sense of trust in Casey after watching his daily vlogs every day for months on end and with his large, engaged audience, brands have started to see the power and influence of a Youtuber like Casey. Samsung collaborates with Casey Neistat frequently, such as in promoting their Gear 360 camera, where they sent him to the Oscars or developing a drone that could pull him up a hill on a snowboard wearing a Santa Claus costume. And most recently, the Casey and Samsung commercial that aired during this years Academy Awards with Casey’s behind-the-scenes vlog of the shoot.
Casey has an incredible way of communicating with his viewers. He talks directly to the camera as if we were his journal and even utilizes visuals such as charts, graphs, or creative editing to convey or simplify whatever message or thought he’s trying to explain. He’s certainly an inspiring creator that has elevated storytelling and filmmaking in addition to showcasing the value of a platform like Youtube. Because of this and the cultivation of his brand/identity, brands and companies are starting to see the immense power of Youtube, influencers and social media in general.
