the relatable video you don't realize is an ad
how i get 2 million views on a sponsored tiktok shot in my bathroom, and why most brand content dies on arrival.
last month 10 million people watched my videos. 98% of them don’t follow me. that number is the whole business, so let me explain it.
nobody shares an ad
when a brand sends me a script, the first thing i do is figure out what my friends would actually send each other. not what the brand wants to say. what gets forwarded in a group chat at 11pm.
the native deal is the best example. they sent a brand-directed script for their surf club collection. i shot it in my bathroom, played it like a bit, and it did 2.2 million views on tiktok. people shared it because it was funny first and product second. the product was in hand the entire time. nobody felt sold to.
the vita coco one was the same idea on my mom’s account. “i can’t believe i got played.” 549 thousand views, 13.9 thousand likes. a mom and son bit with a coconut water in frame for 30 seconds.
the three lanes
everything i make falls into one of three lanes, and brands fit into all three.
mom and son. reels with my mom, alena. the most shared things i make. “red flags are for girls too” did 4.7 million. when a brand gifts me product, this is usually where it goes, because a skit with my mom beats an unboxing every single time.
relatable and comedy. friendship, travel, everyday bits. “finding out who true friends are” did 5.2 million. these are short, fast to shoot, and built to be sent to a friend. a brand that fits into a real day fits here.
surf, travel, and the brand. this is the lane nobody else has. i surf hurricanes, i run a surf brand with a van and a warehouse, and i film all of it. a product that belongs in that world gets a kind of credibility you can’t buy with a bigger budget.
what brands get wrong
they write the caption first. they want the logo in the first second. they want the talking points read out loud. and then they wonder why a creator with 170 thousand followers got 4 thousand views.
the video has to be worth watching with the product removed. if it isn’t, the product won’t save it. if it is, the product rides along for free and people remember it because they weren’t braced for it.
how to work with me
i usually start brands on a monthly: three videos a month, one built to go viral, one built for your ads, one your pick. full usage, whitelisting included. one-offs are on the brands page with the real numbers behind every deal.
email management and tell me the product, the goal, and the timeline. i’ll tell you honestly whether it fits.