The best way for brands to sell is to actually stop selling and start entertaining. That’s the spirit behind the popular YouTube channel Korean-British (6.2 million subscribers) and cheerful (5.2 million subscribers).
What started as a college friendship between creators Josh Carrott and Ollie Kendall has evolved into a global media brand. While Korean-British remains the gold standard for niche cultural content, Jolly was launched as something more individualistic, and its formula attracted A-list guests from around the world. arnold schwarzenegger To all the cast members of “stranger things”.
With over 2.6 billion views to date on the channel, the duo has mastered the high-energy long-form format that turns their content into a winning formula for audience retention. living room view.
We spoke to Josh and Ollie to find out about their growth strategies and why the most effective brand partnerships are indistinguishable from regular content.
Why did you launch your Korean-British channel in 2013 and why did you launch it again with your second channel, Jolly?
Josh Carrot: We started YouTube because we love making videos together. We used what was most readily available: my ability to speak Korean and my passion for sharing the culture, and Ollie’s talent for filming and editing.
Korean-British quickly gained an audience, but after six years we realized we needed a playground for friendship. Jolie allowed us to experiment.
In a world where we don’t see much authenticity, YouTube is unique in its authenticity.
In a world where we don’t see much authenticity, YouTube is unique in its authenticity.
Olly Kendall: Jolie is driven by friendship. It has allowed us to live an incredibly long life both creatively and personally. From a business perspective, it has opened up a much wider scope for different types of content and partnerships.
you will have many guests cultural momentlike the cast of “Stranger Things.” How do you distinguish between temporary viral trends and emerging viral trends? truth A cultural moment?
Josh: A lot of it is intuition, but the first thing you always think about is, “Will my audience enjoy this?” And just as importantly, are we having fun? If we’re not having fun filming, it’s very obvious to the viewer and it’s not interesting.
Olly: YouTube is unique Because of its authenticity In a world where you don’t see much of the real thing. We seek out unscripted moments that would otherwise be cut out in a traditional television interview. Watch the moment on YouTube teeth Contents.
We do a tremendous amount of research into our guests’ interests. Because I’m confident that if the person I’m interviewing is surprised and happy, I can convey that moment. We strive to give all our guests the best interviews ever.
What are the dos and don’ts of these content collaborations? How can you ensure that the integration adds value?
Josh: The golden rule is to be as creative with your partnerships and advertising as you are with the content itself. If you can offer something unique that your audience will be interested in and enjoy, it will add value.
Olly: That’s only possible if you can enjoy it. Some brands have limited mobile bandwidth, but brands that trust our knowledge of their audience deliver the best results.
Our partnership with NordVPN is a great example of this. Now in our fifth year, we have produced over 20 songs in a variety of genres, including original songs and music videos. Last year, we paid tribute to Pavarotti with theNessun NordaThey trust us as entertainers, so the integration becomes the highlight of the video rather than a segment that people want to skip.
Josh: Our celebrity career actually started through advertisers who wanted to promote our movies. We suggested taking the actor out for some authentic Korean food. We gave them an authentic experience and a break from the repetitive junket days. At the end, we talked about movies.
For example, a video with the “Avengers” cast in South Korea received nearly 30 million views. It was definitely the biggest press they did in the country and it was a consolidation of the brand.
Olly: It’s counterintuitive, but the best way to sell a product or movie is not to “sell” it first. If something makes us laugh, that’s usually a good sign. We aim to bring humor, joy and longevity to our content, and that applies to our brand partnerships as well. About 50% of our audience watches TV right now, so our approach is: How can we make something that’s really surprising, fun and interesting?
If half your audience saw your video on TV, would your creative process change?
Olly: It changes everything from boring technical stuff to core strategy. We are currently grading visuals for TV rather than mobile, and our sound guys rent a proper mixing studio to ensure the audio is TV standard. I sometimes do a “watch-through” of my team on the big TV in my office to see how the graphics look.
Josh: We found that there is a direct correlation between the length of the video and the device used. If your video is less than 14 minutes, people watching tv dripping So we’re currently pre-producing and editing specifically for longer formats to capture living room views.
The short, punchy, “maximum virality” editing style has largely shifted to: YouTube short. We’re currently using short videos as a promotional tool to drive people to our main channel’s high-quality, long-form content. TV viewer watch time and retention rates are high, which is exactly what brands and creators want.
The video didn’t feel like an ad because the brand gave us that freedom […] Over 150 million views across all platforms
What is the key to moving your audience from passively viewing your product to actively purchasing it?
Josh: Every brand should have a unique approach. How will a specific audience perceive this brand? Promoting a movie is very different from convincing someone to download an app. You need the flexibility to change your production style to suit your goals.
Olly: A perfect example is John Cena and Sir Idris Elba video For their movie “Heads of State”. The studio originally wanted to shoot at a promotional pop-up event. We proposed a “British vs. American Breakfast” battle instead. The film was a perfect fit for the theme, as it involved the British Prime Minister and the President of the United States.
The American side was shot in New York, and the British side was shot in London. This video didn’t feel like an ad because the brand gave us that freedom. It felt like a regular Jolly video that just happened to feature two of the biggest stars in the world. It received over 150 million views across all platforms. That is the power of trusting the creator’s voice.
How do you ensure you have top-notch guests? david beckham and ryan reynolds?
Ollie: We’ve been doing this for 13 years, and we’ve been doing celebrity interviews for 10 years. This level of experience is very rare on this platform. We have booking agents in LA, New York and London and have long-standing relationships with a variety of studios. But some of our best content comes from our own good fortune.
We were lucky enough to be invited to an event State dinner at Buckingham Palace For the king. As dignitaries such as the Prime Minister and Prince William milled about, I spotted Formula 1 driver Alex Albon. We introduced ourselves and it turned out that he had been watching our content. Before we knew it, we were sitting down to eat in front of the camera. You need to be competitive, always look for opportunities and make the most of them when they present themselves.
What’s next for Jolie and the Korean-British?
Ollie: The grind never stops. We’ll be heading to the US soon after following some NASCAR drivers over the weekend, and we’re planning a big series in East Asia.
Josh: Also, we are always experimenting with new formats. At Jolly, your horizons are incredibly wide. We can take the channel in almost any direction as long as we stay true to our friendship.
For Korean-British people, the challenges are different. It’s about how do you innovate within a very specific niche and keep things fresh. But 13 years later, I still find it just as exciting as the first day.
