As a content creator and marketer, my journey started in 2016 when I began creating short comedy videos for Instagram. While my early efforts didn’t achieve the viral success I hoped for, these initial experiments set the foundation for a deeper exploration into video content and advertising. Over time, I realized that creating videos wasn't just about making people laugh — it was a research project in itself, a way to study how to captivate attention, optimize viewer retention, and ultimately, market products and services through storytelling.

In 2020, I pivoted towards TikTok during the global lockdown, which marked a turning point. My experiment with life hacks quickly gained traction, with my first video reaching half a million views. By the time I had posted 25 videos, I had amassed over 100,000 followers. By staying true to a simple concept, I was able to reach millions of viewers.

The format was clear:

1. Hook the viewer within the first few seconds with a statement like "I've always wanted to try this".
2. Show the hack in action.
3. Deliver results in a short, snappy video format.

Soon, I had over a million followers, and my videos consistently received over a billion views. Around this time, I also began creating content on YouTube, which further expanded my audience. This was when I began receiving offers from brands to incorporate advertising into my content. This marked the beginning of my journey into advertising integrations that aligned with my research into attention management.

In this article, I'd like to share some of my favorite case studies from brand integrations that succeeded. Each one required careful thought, creativity, and experience to make the right decisions and achieve the desired results. Without years of trial and error, pulling off these campaigns would have been nearly impossible.

Xiaomi Phone Advertisement: Using Voice to Stand Out

One of the more interesting projects I worked on was promoting Xiaomi's new phone. Usually, unboxing videos — especially for less popular models — don’t always grab attention without something special. I knew I had to do things differently this time. Instead of my usual no-speech style, I decided to add voice narration for the first time. This caught people off guard since they hadn’t heard me talk in videos before, which made them curious. As a result, the video got over 13 million views. This wasn’t just luck — it was about understanding how to grab attention in the first few seconds and keep people watching.

Adele's "Oh My God": Subtle Product Placement

Promoting Adele’s new track “Oh My God” was another fun challenge. The idea was to bring attention to the song without making it too obvious. So, I used one of my go-to formats — testing ideas from the internet — but added her track as the background music. This subtle move worked really well because it blended naturally with the content and didn’t feel forced. It helped the video get great engagement, all while pushing the track to a wider audience. It’s a simple idea, but it proves that with a bit of creativity, you can turn product placement into something that feels more like part of the story.

KumoSpace, a Zoom alternative with cool entertainment features, was tricky to promote. It’s hard to explain a platform like that in a short video. So I had to think of a way to keep people watching without overwhelming them with information. The solution? I used one of their features — the ability to share YouTube videos — and showed a viral clip with over 100 million views. This helped grab attention right from the start, and once people were hooked, I introduced KumoSpace. The video performed well because it didn’t feel like an ad—it felt like content people wanted to watch.

Conclusion: The Key to Successful Advertising

Through thousands of videos and countless advertising integrations, I've learned that the key to success in both blogging and traditional marketing lies in understanding how to retain audience attention. Whether through humor, unexpected twists, or innovative formats, the first 5-10 seconds are crucial. If viewers stay until the end, the likelihood of success skyrockets.

For those in the advertising space, I encourage you to think outside the box. Humor, alternative approaches, and a focus on engagement rather than just views or likes can transform any video into a powerful marketing tool.

As my passion for marketing has only grown, I have set a new goal for myself: to open my own media agency and work on advertising projects worldwide. I’m especially excited about the opportunity to work with the Asian market, where I believe there is incredible potential for creative campaigns.

I’m curious, what kinds of advertising — whether it’s traditional or digital — really grab your attention? Do you have any favorite ads that you think nailed it, or maybe ones that blew your mind with their creativity? I’d love to hear about any campaigns that stood out to you, whether it’s because they were funny, clever, or just really well executed.

Drop your thoughts in the comments — I’m always looking for fresh ideas and inspiration!