Top 5 Branded Videos of the Week: Welcome the dollhouse of horror

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.

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This week’s Gospel Stats Weekly Brand Report includes a lot of dark and mysterious videos. Creepy, lowlit videos typically thrive in October, but YouTube’s favorite haunted house explorers and horror gamers enjoy year-round viewership. Here’s the lowdown on some of the accomplishments those top creators pulled off during the penultimate week of March.

Details about the top sponsored YouTube videos of the week are available below:

#1 Doll Island: We’re Never Coming Back (ft. Fede Vigevani)
Channel: Sam and Colby
Brand: BetterHelp
Views: 5,566,105

Sam and Colby’s ventures into accursed locations often crack the top spots in our Gospel Stats Weekly Brand Report, and regular sponsor BetterHelp is typically the brand that benefits from that high level of exposure. The duo’s latest video features a video to a self-explanatory location called “doll island,” so if you can’t handle the Chucky franchise, turn away now. Sam and Colby have already collaborated with many of the top creators in their home country, so they’re now branching out with appearances alongside non-American standouts. Uruguayan sensation Fede Vigevani, one of the biggest creators in Latin America, co-starred in Sam and Colby’s doll-laden adventure.

#2 My First Time Playing R.E.P.O
Channel: SMii7Yplus
Brand: Gamer Supps
Views: 3,407,303

SMii7Yplus has recently achieved multiple milestones. The gaming-focused YouTube channel surpassed one million subscribers and made it all the way to the runner-up spot in the Weekly Brand Report. That achievement might say more about the game featured in the sponsored video than the gamers themselves. With its combination of a horror setting and co-operative gameplay, R.E.P.O. 

could be the next big thing in narrative gaming. Previous highlights from the SMii7Yplus feature once-trendy titles like Grand Theft Auto V, Warzone, and The Backrooms, so it’s not unlike this channel to have its finger on the cultural pulse.

#3 I Turned my Bunk Bed into a Race Car!
Channel: Drew Dirksen
Brand: Revolut
Views: 2,795,876

You probably know someone who slept in a racecar bed as a child, but what happens if you turn your bed into a literal car? Drew Dirksen found out when he took his mattress out on the road, and fintech brand Revolut helped him publish a sequel. This time, Dirksen has created a bunk bed car that has so much room for activities — just make sure those activities are hands-free, for the driver’s sake. It turns out that one of the most complicated parts of making a bunk bed car is assembling the bunk bed in the first place. If you’ve ever bought a bed frame from Ikea, you know the vibes.

#4 Weather Weapons & Worse | Tesla’s Stolen Tech and the New Arms Race
Channel: The Why Files
Brand: War Thunder
Views: 2,389,538

The Why Files is known for its investigations into history, conspiracy theories, and the lesser-known sides of famous figures. This time, the channel is looking into Nikola Tesla and his alleged involvement in the development of weapons that harness the weather. A few questions I have after watching: How much of this story can be verified? Can I grab one of those weapons during the coldest months of winter? And did this video get boosted because of that other Tesla and its founder who’s been in the news lately? We may need Mark Rober to come in and investigate what’s going on here.

BONUS #2,172 Firing Supertubos! Pre comp freesurf | MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal
Channel: World Surf League
Brand: Corona
Views: 27,641

Speaking of cold weather, it’s still not warm enough to go out and enjoy the beach (at least not where I am). So what do you do if you’re Corona and you want to remind YouTube viewers about fun in the sun and your brand’s association with it? You sponsor surfing videos, apparently. Five Corona-sponsored clips from the World Surfing League showed up in this week’s Brand Report. When I watched them, I was transported to the time of year when sitting on the beach and enjoying a cold Corona is most appropriate. Is this what Angelenos feel like all the time?

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…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.