YouTube’s Weirdest Trends Are Winning and Brands Need to Catch Up
Tubular Labs’ latest May 2025 viewership trends report offers a compelling look into how creators and media brands are redefining success on YouTube. The global leader in social video intelligence analyzed viewership patterns to reveal how content duration, device preference, and platform-specific strategies are impacting audience engagement—and what this means for marketers and communicators in the creator economy.
From Micro to Mega: Creators Finding Opportunity in Duration
The dominance of short-form video is undeniable. According to Tubular, YouTube Shorts now make up 57% of all uploads from U.S. creators and account for 88% of views and 85% of total engagements in 2025 to date. Yet, May 2025 also saw surprising momentum from long-form creators like Milo and Chip, whose Minecraft-focused videos—often over 30 minutes—catapulted them to the No. 6 creator spot by total U.S. watch time. Their 1.2 billion minutes watched in May marked a staggering 1,545% increase from the previous month.
This divergence reveals a nuanced opportunity: while short-form remains essential for reach and frequency, long-form content can deliver deep engagement, especially on connected TV devices, which account for only 16% of views but 42% of minutes watched.
Evergreen IP, Short Memes, Big Payoff
Movie meme creator Eggdar capitalized on the virality of simple, silent video loops in Shorts format. With 96.6 million unique viewers and 44 videos surpassing 10 million views each, Eggdar’s strategy demonstrates that high production value is no longer a prerequisite for massive exposure.
Similarly, BuzzFeed’s The Land of Boggs, a short-form series running since 2018, saw a 42% jump in unique viewers and became the 11th-ranked media channel by audience—outpacing CNN and Sesame Street—with videos under 30 seconds and minimal publishing frequency changes. The show’s success lies in its simplicity and consistent character-driven appeal, proving that strategic recycling of evergreen content can yield massive returns.
The Rise of Brain Rot and AI Aesthetics
Content creator Hopper tapped into the growing “Italian Brain Rot” trend—videos that combine surreal AI characters with pseudo-linguistic humor and electronic music. Hopper’s audience tripled to over 60 million monthly viewers, with 42% of that demographic falling in the highly desirable 25–34 range. This signals growing acceptance of AI-generated or AI-inspired formats, as long as the content feels fresh, fast, and entertaining.
What This Means for Marketing Communications
The data from Tubular Labs reinforces a few core lessons for communicators:
Content cadence and duration need to align with platform and device behavior: Long-form works well for TV viewers; Shorts dominate mobile and can deliver high-frequency engagement.
Low-production, high-creativity strategies are winning: Creators like Eggdar and The Land of Boggs show that meme formats and animated simplicity can compete with newsrooms and networks.
Audience segmentation is shifting: Trends like “brain rot” may appear fringe, but they attract loyal, young demographics primed for engagement.
Influencer alignment must evolve: Brands looking to stay relevant must collaborate with creators operating outside traditional verticals and formats.
As the boundaries of video content continue to blur, marketing and communications professionals must rethink their playbooks. From influencer partnerships to branded content strategies, it’s no longer just about being seen—it’s about understanding what kind of content gets watched, rewatched, and remembered.
