Mike’s Mic, The Nardwaur of Library Content

Some reaction or recap content exists to catch audiences up for an upcoming season, and some is more intriguing than the actual trailer. Youtube channel, Mike’s Mic, will have you inspired to elevate not just recap and reaction content, but also re-think which campaign phase it should live in.

The channel hosts a range of elaborate dissections of popular shows from the early aughts. A three-part analysis of Pretty Little Liars, for example, maps out the absurdly complicated relationships of the series with private detective-style colored strings.

For a generation raised with influencer-recommendation, it’s not surprising to see the related potential for entertainment campaigns to utilize these types of assets that exist not just to build awareness, but to set the tone for why to love something. As the example, Mike’s Mic videos do more than recap, he is the Nardwaur of TV -- his enthusiasm drives discovery and will convert you into a fan. The channel's recent breakdown of Lost S1 has already hit 1m views, likely among an audience that never heard of or watched the show prior.

The tactic has been widely done in the Gaming industry, with influencers being paid at launch to create personality-driven gameplay videos with commentary. Not radically different than how the music industry uses creators not just to push a song into culture, but to set the tone for how to move to it. Mike’s Mic videos are a reflection of that broader social opportunity in a series/movie campaign. Instead of using reaction creators to recap a show mid or between seasons, consider making them part of your press screening. Their enthusiasm for dissecting a property at launch could be a cheat code for driving audiences to the release.