Top 5 Branded Videos of the Week: Stop trying to make “Shein wedding season” happen

Welcome to our rundown of the most-watched branded YouTube videos of the week.

We’re publishing this snippet of a larger Gospel Stats Weekly Brand Report in order to analyze sponsorship trends in the creator economy. Any video launched in tandem with an official brand partner is eligible for the ranking.

And – as the name up above would imply – all the data comes from Gospel Stats. If you’re interested in learning more about Gospel – and which brands are sponsoring what creators on YouTube – click here.

What moral obligations do creators have when they work with questionable brands? The #1 video in our latest Weekly Brand Report raises that question. It’s a collab between a stylish social star and a company that has been maligned for its contributions to the fast fashion epidemic. The video’s considerable traffic demonstrated the value it provided for both parties, but is that viewership worth an increase in critical comments? Some creators find the trade-off to be worth it; others settle for sponsorships that are a little less complicated.

#1 What I’d wear to my EX’S WEDDING
Channel: Clara Dao
Brand: Shein

Last year, Clara Dao reached fourth place in our Weekly Brand Report by teaming up with Temu, a controversial Chinese retailer that has been accused of shady labor and data collection practices. The pushback Dao got on that video didn’t slow her down, because she’s back with a collab with Shein, an equally disreputable peddler of low-cost looks. There are still plenty of commenters who want to know why Dao is putting Shein’s brand over its alleged abuses, but she has about 11 million reasons why her take on “Shein wedding season” was worth the time.

#2 We Powered A Mountain
Channel: Beast Philanthropy
Brand: Kellogg’s

If morally questionable fast fashion collabs have you feeling down, the #2 video in the Weekly Brand Report is here to restore your faith in influencer marketing. It comes from Beast Philanthropy, the channel Jimmy Donaldson uses to facilitate his charitable endeavors (including a food bank that launched alongside the Philanthropy hub). The latest Beast Philanthropy clip takes viewers to Nepal, where Donaldson and his crew built solar panels to power a rural hospital. The video’s sponsor, Kellogg’s, used its MrBeast team-up to promote its partnership with Minecraft.

#3 What Happened To The Nautilus?
Channel: Mustard
Brand: Nebula

The Weekly Brand Report is taking readers to all corners of the earth. After MrBeast led us on a mission to rural Nepal, we’re now venturing to the bottom of the Arctic Ocean to learn about the fate of a famous sea vessel. YouTube historian Mustard is the host of a video that tells the story of the Nautilus, one of the first ships to ever explore the North Pole. Like so many informative YouTube videos, Mustard’s clip is sponsored by Nebula, the creator-led streaming service that provides a lifeline for some of the internet’s brightest educators.

#4 The Internet is starting to Break – Here’s Why.
Channel: Mrwhosetheboss
Brand: Surfshark

Like many other members of YouTube’s tech review community, Arun Maini (aka Mrwhosetheboss) waded into the drama surrounding the Humane AI Pin last week. Luckily, he emerged relatively unscathed on the other side and is now wielding his credibility to target big tech companies. In a recent video sponsored by Surfshark, Maini argues that subscription-based models are causing the internet to “break” apart. It’s a big accusation, one that Maini delivers with his trademark thoroughness and charm.

BONUS #1,688 How to Make TUNA PASTA Under 10 Minutes with less then $7
Channel: Vincenzo’s Plate
Brand: Pastificio Liguori

Fashion creators repping Shein. Techies taking on tech industry giants. MrBeast doing his thing. This week’s report includes a lot of news related to YouTube’s most talked-about partnerships, but that’s not what has my attention. While everyone else is distracted by the biggest deals in the creator economy, I’ll be over here analyzing how influencer marketing is affecting the world of Italian pasta. For sauce that sticks to noodles, I’m partial to the Pastificio di San Martino, but the expert Italian chef who hosts Vincenzo’s Plate is stumping for Northern Italy’s Pastificio Liguori. Forget all the other drama on YouTube — I won’t rest until I know the absolute perfect brand of pasta for my weeknight meals.

…and there’s a lot more data where that came from. If you’re interested in learning more about Gospel – and which brands are sponsoring what creators on YouTube – click here.