Monday Mashups: Bringing the Behind-the-Screen Audience to You

David Dobrik is a household name—well at least in houses with a teenager. With more than 12 million subscribers on YouTube, he’s one of the most sought-after social media influencers today. Having started his channel in 2016, the 22-year-old is now one of the platform’s most popular vloggers. His day-in-the-life-style videos, which he films with friends as well as big-name celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, generate millions of views. He also records a podcast called “Views with David Dobrik And Jason Nash.”

But how do you translate that online success into a brick-and-mortar pop-up shop? BizBash shares that to launch Dobrik’s new “Clickbait” merchandise line with apparel brand Fanjoy, creative agency Movement Strategy produced a two-day event where fans could shop the collection and, perhaps more importantly, meet the YouTube star.

The pop-up featured a partnership with ticket search engine site SeatGeek that included toy sports cars on display, as a nod to Dobrik’s designer car vlog moments, along with a raffle. Guests could also pose in front of a backdrop showcasing some of his most recent thumbnail images from YouTube.

Juliette Richey, head of production at Movement Strategy, added that “the space had to convey the distinct character and sense of humor that fans associate with David. That meant fighting a creative instinct to build something more involved in favor of installations that granted plenty of appealing, immediately recognizable quick-snap photo ops.”

Overall, the space was designed to maximize flow in an effort to expedite purchases; guests were given strict 15-minute intervals to browse and shop. And the concept seemed to pay off. According to Movement Strategy, 3.5 items were sold per minute within 16 hours.

The pop-up shop was held on May 18 and 19 in New York’s TriBeCa neighborhood at 368 Broadway, a three-level space owned by another popular vlogger and YouTube personality, Casey Neistat.

Movement, Fanjoy, and David wanted to ensure that the event space chosen in New York was authentic to the David Dobrik brand and the 368 space was a perfect home because of its deep roots within the YouTube community. The 368 space is a collaborative workspace in New York City, which serves as a hub for fellow filmmakers, YouTube stars, musicians, and podcasters. David Dobrik and Casey Neistat are both prolific YouTube content creators with an existing friendship, so the collaboration was fluid for the two.

Much like a rockstar, YouTube personalities such as Dobrik are able to generate buzz and excitement in real life that most corporate brands can’t imitate. With the Fanjoy x David Dobrik pop-up, the producers aimed to capture that energy and convert it into an inspiring event.

YouTube audiences are extremely attuned to the vloggers they follow and feel an immensely deep connection to them. It’s a more personal connection than a brand is usually capable of eliciting, which makes crafting a rich experience that resonates for diehards all the more important.

Take the advice of David's team and devour the details of bringing the behind-the-screen audience to you in real life!