I Tricked YouTubers Into Promoting A Fake Product

Summary

In a playful social experiment, the creator of the video sets out to dupe YouTubers into promoting a non-existent product, Chad VPN. Using AI to identify VPNs as a popular sponsorship choice, the creator fabricates a website and business email, then reaches out to various YouTubers with an enticing offer. Despite the absurdity of the product, some influencers agree to promote it, showcasing the potential pitfalls of influencer marketing and the importance of due diligence.

Takeaways

• 😝 The video's creator embarked on a mischievous plan to trick YouTubers into promoting a fake product, a VPN called 'Chad VPN'.
• 💡 The idea was to use AI to determine the most sponsored product on YouTube, which turned out to be VPN services.
• 🛠️ A website was created for Chad VPN using Wix, with a focus on making it look legitimate without actually offering any real services or products.
• 💼 The creator assumed a fake identity, 'Trevor Milbarton', to manage the Chad VPN brand and outreach to YouTubers.
• 💸 A budget of $1,000 was set for the campaign to pay YouTubers for promoting the non-existent VPN service.
• 📧 Outreach emails were sent to various YouTubers with different content formats, offering payments for product placements.
• 📈 The video creator experienced mixed responses, with some YouTubers showing interest and others requiring more information or declining.
• 📹 Two YouTubers ultimately agreed to create content promoting Chad VPN, despite the lack of a tangible product.
• 🌐 The website for Chad VPN received some organic traffic, with visitors from around the world, indicating curiosity about the fake product.
• 🔍 The video concludes with a reflection on the due diligence (or lack thereof) by the YouTubers who agreed to promote Chad VPN, and a cautionary note to viewers not to harass the participants.

Q & A

What was the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose of the video was to create a fake product, Chad VPN, and then have YouTubers market it on their channels as a content experiment.

Why did the creator choose a VPN service as the fake product?

The creator chose a VPN service because it is one of the most sponsored products on YouTube, increasing the likelihood of YouTubers responding to the promotion request.

How did the creator plan to make the fake VPN product seem legitimate?

The creator planned to make the fake VPN product seem legitimate by creating a website, a custom domain, a business email, and reaching out to YouTubers with a professional-sounding email campaign.

What was the budget allocated for the fake marketing campaign?

The budget allocated for the fake marketing campaign was $1,000.

How did the creator select the YouTubers to promote the fake product?

The creator selected YouTubers by considering their relevance to the VPN niche and by including a mix of random general influencers.

What was the strategy behind the email outreach to YouTubers?

The strategy was to send a professional email offering a paid partnership to feature Chad VPN in their videos, without revealing too much detail about the product to maintain the ruse.

How did the creator handle the situation when YouTubers asked for more details or proofs?

The creator handled the situation by providing a creator brief with talking points, making up fake client testimonials, and using reverse psychology to avoid over-explaining or providing too much information.

What were the reactions from the YouTubers who were approached?

Some YouTubers did not respond or stopped communication after receiving the creative brief, while two others proceeded to create and publish promotional content for Chad VPN.

How did the creator ensure the YouTubers did not get into trouble for promoting a fake product?

The creator ensured that the YouTubers did not get into trouble by not explicitly lying about the product's existence in the brief and by making it clear that the product was just a name and concept without specific features or services.

What was the final outcome of the video project?

The final outcome was that two YouTubers created and published promotional videos for Chad VPN, a fake product, showcasing the effectiveness of the creator's strategy and the willingness of some influencers to promote products without thorough due diligence.