So, everyday, once I've logged into my Google account, I'll make my way to my personalized Google News page. It's basically just like the general Google News page except I have 2 additional sections.
Yesterday, after I was done going through my personalized news headlines (yes, the ones that include a special section for Kimi Raikkonen and Lee DeWyze), I happened to glance at the right side column, Spotlight, where they put the most popular news items. And that's when I saw an L.A Times article that caught my eye, "Teen 'haulers' become a fashion force".
Upon seeing the title, the first thought that flitted through my head was, "Teenage long-haul truck drivers are making fashion waves?". Yes, ok, I know it's silly that my mind went there, after all, longhaul trucking and fashion forward-ness, really? Really, Zlena? But it got me to read the article. I have to say, since that single click, I have managed to waste hours upon hours of my life going through the haul videos of Elle (21 yo) and Blair Fowler (17 yo), who started out simply as sisters from Tennessee but are now considered two of Youtube's most successful superstar video haul bloggers.
Now, I'm going to admit, at first I was completely clueless about this, let's call it, phenomena. What in the world are video haul bloggers? Oh, my question was answered and they definitely don't have nowt to do with long-haul trucking (well, unless we want to count the trucks that criss-cross America doing all the delivery). When I went to the sisters' individual Youtube channel, I found a mecca of how-to videos and personal shopping explanations. After watching tons, tons, of vlogs (that's video blogs for the uncouth), I've gathered that it's basically one person giving thousands of people a voyeuristic peek, via youtube-ing, into their shopping thrills and spills. Instead of a word and picture post of your shopping haul, these people video tape it for your viewing pleasure.
After the first video, I decided to read further on this phenomenon. And I found that this is actually a big thing amongst retailers. They hitch their brand name to these vloggers and through them, they can get their products marketed far and wide to audiences that can run through the hundreds of thousands. If that's not marketing gold, right there and these retailers know it. Some have even sponsored trips and money and in the case of the Fowler sisters, they even have a makeup line in the works with drugstore brand NYX. Of course, with every article that says "Yay!", there are those that go "Nay". There are quite a few of the detractors to this, shall we say, style of marketing. The ones that don't condone this type of peep-show marketing, even going as far as calling it shopping porn and the people involved purveyors of narcissistic values. However, for me, I say to each his/her own.
I feel that if these people want to share these parts of their lives with the masses, who are you to judge. Don't like it, don't watch it. I personally enjoy having a glimpse into the shopping prowess of other people. I'm even going to say that I'm getting quite addicted to Elle (allthatglitters21) and Blair (juicystar07)'s individual Youtube channels. I find that I like watching their videos about their beauty product purchases or their tag vids. I also like that they share their knowledge through product reviews, which are useful in the fact that it could help you make a decision on something you were iffy on, or when they use their product know-how to teach via beauty tutorials. Yes, it's frivolous but it's fun all the same. I mean, they are simply offering their opinions on items that they've bought/gotten and if you like/don't like what you hear, it is up to you to figure out what you wanna do with that opinion. They're not jedi mind tricking you to follow what they say.
Anyways, I'm all for it. I have found a couple of interesting new retailers that i previously hadn't heard of through watching their vlogs. It's a window into someone's beauty and fashion world, how can I not like this? But would I do it myself? Hell, no!
UPDATE (04/08/2010):
Ok, found a vlogger I like even better than the Fowler sisters! And the cute thing is - she's ONLY fourteen! Yes, I adore a fourteen year old's opinion. I found her Youtube page via the same L.A Times article. She's Bethany Moya, an L.A native, who goes by the screen name MacBarbie07. After watching her vids, I think she's very well-spoken and her phrasing as she describes the products she reviews is very articulate and varied. I believe she does better reviews than the Fowler girls who tend to repeat the same words whilst explaining a product and sometimes they come across as inarticulate. Also, Bethany comes across as very genuine and her videos don't have a put-on feel to them which is a feeling I sometimes get from watching Elle and Blair. I just think she's a great young girl all around :) Not to say that I dis-heart Elle and Blair - I still am watching their vids, I'm just saying I <3 MacBarbie07 more.
Yesterday, after I was done going through my personalized news headlines (yes, the ones that include a special section for Kimi Raikkonen and Lee DeWyze), I happened to glance at the right side column, Spotlight, where they put the most popular news items. And that's when I saw an L.A Times article that caught my eye, "Teen 'haulers' become a fashion force".
Upon seeing the title, the first thought that flitted through my head was, "Teenage long-haul truck drivers are making fashion waves?". Yes, ok, I know it's silly that my mind went there, after all, longhaul trucking and fashion forward-ness, really? Really, Zlena? But it got me to read the article. I have to say, since that single click, I have managed to waste hours upon hours of my life going through the haul videos of Elle (21 yo) and Blair Fowler (17 yo), who started out simply as sisters from Tennessee but are now considered two of Youtube's most successful superstar video haul bloggers.
Now, I'm going to admit, at first I was completely clueless about this, let's call it, phenomena. What in the world are video haul bloggers? Oh, my question was answered and they definitely don't have nowt to do with long-haul trucking (well, unless we want to count the trucks that criss-cross America doing all the delivery). When I went to the sisters' individual Youtube channel, I found a mecca of how-to videos and personal shopping explanations. After watching tons, tons, of vlogs (that's video blogs for the uncouth), I've gathered that it's basically one person giving thousands of people a voyeuristic peek, via youtube-ing, into their shopping thrills and spills. Instead of a word and picture post of your shopping haul, these people video tape it for your viewing pleasure.
After the first video, I decided to read further on this phenomenon. And I found that this is actually a big thing amongst retailers. They hitch their brand name to these vloggers and through them, they can get their products marketed far and wide to audiences that can run through the hundreds of thousands. If that's not marketing gold, right there and these retailers know it. Some have even sponsored trips and money and in the case of the Fowler sisters, they even have a makeup line in the works with drugstore brand NYX. Of course, with every article that says "Yay!", there are those that go "Nay". There are quite a few of the detractors to this, shall we say, style of marketing. The ones that don't condone this type of peep-show marketing, even going as far as calling it shopping porn and the people involved purveyors of narcissistic values. However, for me, I say to each his/her own.
I feel that if these people want to share these parts of their lives with the masses, who are you to judge. Don't like it, don't watch it. I personally enjoy having a glimpse into the shopping prowess of other people. I'm even going to say that I'm getting quite addicted to Elle (allthatglitters21) and Blair (juicystar07)'s individual Youtube channels. I find that I like watching their videos about their beauty product purchases or their tag vids. I also like that they share their knowledge through product reviews, which are useful in the fact that it could help you make a decision on something you were iffy on, or when they use their product know-how to teach via beauty tutorials. Yes, it's frivolous but it's fun all the same. I mean, they are simply offering their opinions on items that they've bought/gotten and if you like/don't like what you hear, it is up to you to figure out what you wanna do with that opinion. They're not jedi mind tricking you to follow what they say.
Anyways, I'm all for it. I have found a couple of interesting new retailers that i previously hadn't heard of through watching their vlogs. It's a window into someone's beauty and fashion world, how can I not like this? But would I do it myself? Hell, no!
UPDATE (04/08/2010):
Ok, found a vlogger I like even better than the Fowler sisters! And the cute thing is - she's ONLY fourteen! Yes, I adore a fourteen year old's opinion. I found her Youtube page via the same L.A Times article. She's Bethany Moya, an L.A native, who goes by the screen name MacBarbie07. After watching her vids, I think she's very well-spoken and her phrasing as she describes the products she reviews is very articulate and varied. I believe she does better reviews than the Fowler girls who tend to repeat the same words whilst explaining a product and sometimes they come across as inarticulate. Also, Bethany comes across as very genuine and her videos don't have a put-on feel to them which is a feeling I sometimes get from watching Elle and Blair. I just think she's a great young girl all around :) Not to say that I dis-heart Elle and Blair - I still am watching their vids, I'm just saying I <3 MacBarbie07 more.
