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Welcome to Created, the newsletter making your inbox the sweetest place on the internet. Here's what we got today:
- Why millions watched Ryan Trahan's candy commercial
- Understanding YouTube's Shorts Update
- Outlier of the week
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Ryan Trahan's Candy Launch is a Cinematic Masterpiece
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Ryan Trahan just dropped a candy commercial so cinematic, fans are demanding a full-length movie.
The sci-fi short film introducing Joyride's new Gummy Busters candy racked up 4M views in its first four days.
Moving Trahan even closer to his goal of making Joyride the #1 candy in America.
Backstory:
- 2022: Trahan launches Joyride, promising candy with no artificial colors, no junk ingredients, and less sugar.
- 2024: Joyride lands nationwide distribution in Target.
- 2025: Joyride becomes Target's #2 candy brand, behind only Nerds
Why Gummy Busters?
Trahan is gunning for Nerd's #1 spot.
Guess what product drove 81% of Nerds' sales in 2023?
Nerds Gummy Clusters.
Since launching Gummy Cluster's in 2019, Nerds' retail sales 10X from $50M to $500M.
Trahan knows if he can steal just a fraction of those sales with his Gummy Busters, that #1 spot is his for the taking.
It's why Trahan partnered with YouTube filmmakers Sticks to direct the candy's commercial. To take the launch IRL, Trahan opened a Joyride pop-up shop in NYC.
The Fans' Response?
- "Bro just made a whole movie about candy, and I watched every second of it. We need a real movie ❤️🔥"
- "Dropped a Hollywood film and thought we wouldn’t notice"
Our Take
Ryan turned a product announcement into a cultural moment by putting storytelling first. Three things he nailed:
- Content as the centerpiece, not just an add-on, converted passive viewers into active customers.
- Creative partnerships (with Sticks) elevated production, earning viral attention.
- Strategic positioning capitalized on Nerds’ success but offered a healthier alternative.
Next time you're launching something new, don’t just advertise — tell a story. People don’t share ads; they share experiences.
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Shorts Views Are Up...But Who's Watching?
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YouTube just made your Shorts views explode. But that's not the whole story.
On March 31, YouTube changed how they define a view for Shorts. Previously, a minimum watch-time of a few seconds was required to count as a view.
Now, that minimum watch-time is gone. Meaning even if you scroll past a short for a split-second — it will still count as a view.
Why The Change?
Creators and brands have long complained that Shorts underperform when compared to TikTok and Reels.
YouTube finally admitted it’s not the content or the audience. It’s the definition of a “view.”
This update puts YouTube in line with TikTok and Instagram, which both count a view the moment a video plays.
But There’s A Catch...
YouTube isn’t scrapping its old view metric. It’s just renaming it “Engaged Views” — which is still what counts toward monetization and the YouTube Partner Program.
So yes, your total views will look better. But only Engaged Views tell you who’s actually watching.
Our Take
This looks better publicly, but it doesn’t mean more people are truly watching.
Here’s what to keep in mind:
- Expect inflated views on Shorts, but track Engaged Views for real insights.
- Make your hook tighter than ever. If everyone gets a view, attention is the new currency.
- Your analytics just got messier. Dig deeper to know what’s actually working.
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🎯 Weekly Roundup: YouTube Thumbnails
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Why we love these YT thumbnails:
- "Banned" label + weird shoe design makes you wonder what’s so special (Chris Howett)
- Stealth shape + "Ghost of the Skies" title sparks curiosity about its power (MegaBuilds)
- 1891 vs. 2024 design contrast grabs attention (Jesser)
- Match inside a lock + fire setup makes you wonder what happens next (Hafu Go)
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This video by Hunter Williams has 2.8M views, which is 10.6 times higher than the channel’s average. Here's why it took off:
- Small Town, Big Hook: How do you become a mayor for a town of 1?
- A Real Campaign: Hunter creates campaign videos, hosts a debate, and runs a legally binding election.
- Beyond The Bit: Hunter actually becomes the mayor of the world’s smallest town.
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Sponsored by Circle
How Creators Actually Make It
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Want to learn how creators actually build million dollar businesses?
I’m joining Justin Welsh, Tori Dunlap, and 10+ other creators to share our paths to success at the Creator Path Summit.
It’s a free, two-day virtual event hosted by Circle on April 15 & 16.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- How Justin Welsh grew a $5M+ business without hiring a single employee
- How Tori Dunlap turned a money-saving challenge into a global financial education brand
- How Chris Donnelly built a $50M agency using creator-led marketing
You’ll hear how we went from figuring it out to full-time — and walk away with proven strategies you can actually use.
Ask questions live. Steal our tactics. And find the path that works for you.
Save your spot here — it’s totally free.
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Join Our Free YouTube Workshop
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Join us next Wednesday for a free YouTube Workshop at Noon PST.
I’ll be roasting your videos, answering your questions, and announcing which 9 of you will be joining myself, Colin & Samir, and Aprilynne for the Spotter Studio Ideas Summit in LA later this month.
All you have to do is sign up for Spotter Studio within the next 24 hours.
Sign up here.
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