Good morning. A car dealership in Ballston Spa, NY, is going viral on TikTok for making a parody of The Office called The Dealership. So far, the nine 3- to 6-minute episodes have received more than 7 million views. We're fully invested and waiting for the inevitable half-hour episodes to drop on YouTube.

— Hannah Doyle & Nate Graber-Lipperman

Case Study: Creator Videos with an Outsized Impact

Over the last three weeks, the channels Make With Miles and Goobie and Doobie have both managed to pull in upwards of 1 million views on videos published to their respective channels (each with about 250K subscribers). Here’s a closer look at how they’re making viral sensations happen →

Goobie and Doobie. Channel creator “Goobie” started posting videos of nature sounds for meditation—often up to 10 hours long—in April. 

In his first video with dialogue uploaded two weeks ago, Goobie tells the story of why he quit his job as a neurosurgeon. The one-take, 48-minute video has received more than 8 million views in less than three weeks.

• Why it works: In an era marked by a surplus of highly produced YouTube content, low-budget, simple videos like Goobie’s stand out on the platform. 

• The most-liked comment on the video reads, “Sitting in nature, mountains in the background, normal editing, just a man talking about life for 40 mins. This is what YouTube is about.” 

Make With Miles. Miles Menely has been uploading woodworking and DIY videos to YouTube for seven years. In his latest video, the 20-year-old shares how he made a nightstand with a knob to easily turn off a light. In two weeks, it has received 1.2 million views and is tracking to become the top-viewed video on Menely’s channel.

• Why it works: Menely uses music, visuals, and storytelling to hook viewers, regardless of their interest in woodworking. 

• One comment on the video reads, “The atmosphere, the camera, the audio. Why am I getting chills over a YouTube video about making a nightstand? Insanely good.”

Creators React to Biden’s Decision

Yesterday, President Joe Biden announced that he’s dropping out of the 2024 presidential race in a letter posted to his social media channels.

In a follow-up post, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the Democratic Party’s nominee.

How creators are reacting →

• Political commentary creator Hasan Piker celebrated the president’s decision to drop out. “Remember when I f*cking told you guys this is the most boring election cycle, but overnight, it has the capacity to become the most interesting?” Piker said while streaming live on Twitch.

• “This country has been in a worse place several times in the past—this is not a bad thing,” V Spehar of Under the Desk News said in a TikTok, before jokingly telling their audience to “go for a walk.”

• “As of now, the question is: What happens from here?” news commentary creator Philip DeFranco openly asked on an emergency episode of The Philip DeFranco Show. DeFranco said he’ll cover the breaking news in more detail throughout this week.

‘MrBeast Lab’ Toys Roll Out at Big-Box Retailers

This month, MrBeast released a line of collectible figures called “MrBeast Lab.”

• The collection, produced in collaboration with toy company Moose Toys, is now available in the US at big-box retailers including Walmart and Target.

• In a strategy he popularized with his Feastables chocolate brand, MrBeast will feature the toys in new content on his YouTube channel.

Zoom out: The action figures market is currently experiencing a resurgence in popularity. It’s expected to grow from $8.4 billion in worldwide revenue this year to $9.1 billion in 2028, according to data tracking company Statista.

👀 Creator Moves

• Complexly is hiring a production coordinator to assist with shoots and work with talent.

• No Lab Coat Required is hiring a video editor to help create health science explainer videos.

• The Athletic is hiring a producer to create content across its sports newsletters, audio, and LinkedIn channels.

Looking to bring on new team members? You can post opportunities on our (free) job board here.

🔥 Press Worthy

• The US Olympic Committee sues PRIME over trademark infringement.

• LeagleEagle weighs in on Logan Paul’s lawsuit against CoffeeZilla.

• Netflix co-CEOs acknowledge competition from YouTube, saying the platforms “feed each other.”

• Streamers YourRage and PlaqueBoyMax sign with Night.

• Gaming creators Wendigoon and Evan Royalty are showing their movie, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., at select theaters.

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