Many brands have begun shifting their advertising budgets online in lieu of spending on TV, and a deal between Royal Caribbean and AwesomenessTV provides the latest example. As reported by Adweek, the cruise will sponsor two new web series from the teen-focused YouTube network, and it will dip into its TV budget in order to fund them.
The first of the two series, set to arrive on July 6th, is titled YoMuscleBoii’s Royal Caribbean Adventure. It will star titular YouTuber YoMuscleBoii (pictured above), who will pal around a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, show off all the onboard amenities, and (we assume) wear a lot of sleeveless tees. A month later, on August 3rd, AwesomenessTV will debut Shipping Julia, a seaborne version of Romeo & Juliet.
The AwesomenessTV deal is significant in that a brand is recognizing YouTube as the best platform for reaching its target audience.”Teens are our sweet spot from a guest perspective,” said Royal Caribbean SVP of Worldwide Marketing Carol Schuster. “They really get the most out of our ships.” Based on that statement, AwesomenessTV stands as a more efficient investment than TV; the network’s latest branded series, Summer With Cimorelli, has already drawn more than a million views just a few weeks after its initial release.
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It is also noteworthy that Royal Caribbean came to AwesomenessTV through the network’s parent company, DreamWorks Animation. Royal Caribbean and Dreamworks were already partners, and this allowed the cruise line to “trust” AwesomenessTV. Assuming AwesomenessTV’s two branded series draw the audiences they are capable of bringing in, Royal Caribbean will soon trust its new YouTube partner even more.