Unboxing the Nexus One YouTube channel

To accompany the official Nexus One launch back on January 5, we also launched a custom designed YouTube brand channel. We decided to build a brand channel on YouTube because they allow for a fun, interactive and engaging hub for a wide range of content -- in this case, educational and partner-created videos as well as custom Nexus One content. Since the launch, our Nexus One YouTube channel has allowed us to maximize consumer engagement by hosting fresh, new content, while also allowing us the flexibility to update the gadget to highlight the content we want to promote. As the launch was focused around online activities, our channel has become the gateway to an array of branded video content, capturing organic YouTube search traffic and succesfully directing engaged consumers to the main Nexus One website -- google.com/phone.


Initially, the channel launched with ten "How To" videos, two set-up videos and one launch video. Following the launch, the first new section of the channel to launch was "Theatre," which showcases all the YouTube partner Nexus One videos -- including Patrick Boivin's viral unboxing, and videos from Mike Relm, MysteryGuitarMan and Chef John. We've continued to update this section as partner videos go live, allowing us to maintain engagement with viewers.

Patrick Boivin's viral unboxing

Later on we unveiled yet another section -- "The Story." This is a series of documentary videos capturing behind the scenes footage of the making of Nexus One, which had a timed release, with a new video launched everyday for five days. Again, this enabled us to maintain maximum engagement with viewers who were eager to come back and see the next episode. The videos made use of YouTube annotations and a custom designed endcard menu, to lead people to the "Next Episode" or the Nexus One site. These linking annotations are particularly powerful when viewers watch the videos outside of YouTube, as they are able to drive viewers back to the channel.

Not only did we want to make sure that we kept people interested once they got to the channel, but we also wanted to make it as easy as possible for viewers to share the content -- which we addressed by adding critical sharing links to each video watch page, and the overall channel.


We added captions to all video content on the channel, so the video can be viewed in over 50 languages. Customers can find a link to the YouTube channel from the homepage of the Nexus One site. YouTube has been and will continue to be a central hub for the Nexus One campaign, and a critical component of our campaign strategy. The creative custom channel provides an interactive brand experience, through which we have been able to engage different types of audiences with the content it hosts.

Posted by Anna de Paula Hanika, Product Marketing Manager, Nexus One