HOLIDAY HINTS
FROM RYAN
CAST OF CHARACTERS The pocket.watch lineup stars in (left to right): Ryan Toysreview,
EvanTubeHD, JillianTubeHD, HobbyKidsTV and Captain Sparklez. (Below) Hecht with wife Susan
MacLaury holding one of two Emmy Awards won by the Shine Global documentary War/Dance.
The Business Model
Hecht sites a three-part strategy
as contributing to the company’s
success. They’ve partnered with top
YouTube kids’
stars, such as
Ryan of Ryan
ToysReview (close
to 17,000,000
subscribers) and
HobbyKidsTV
(more than 3 mil-
lion subscribers).
“Because they’re
creative part-
ners, we literally
have equity in it,
like Spongebob,
Mickey Mouse and
other brands that
develop franchises
around them,” he
says.
The next step,
Hecht says, is to develop YouTube
talent for pocket.watch, such as the
Pocket.Watch Challenge Squad. And
the third step is to create original
related projects, such as Skoogle,
a live-action sketch show starring
the voice of Kenan Thompson, and
The Unboxing Movie, slated to open
in 2022 as a theatrical release that
Hecht describes as “Gremlins meets
Jumanji.” The setting for the film will
be Montclair, he says. “We can get
locations that work for everything,
because it’s diverse and feels like it
has all the great qualities of both a
big city and a rural environment.”
How
H
it’s
Going
Hecht says that
six years ago,
only five of 100
YouTube chan-
nels were kid-
focused. “Now
five of the top 10
YouTube chan-
nels are for kids
under 12,” he
says, and pocket.
watch is “the top
brand, where
more viewing is
going on for kids
under 12.”
The Ryan ToysReview channel releases
a new toy review daily, so there
are plenty of picks to choose from;
Walmart stores have a dedicated
Ryan’s World section. Top holiday gift
ideas include:
• Ryan’s Giant Mystery Egg $89,
Walmart, Amazon, Target
(a special Christmas edition
comes out in December)
• Watch this Book: Inside the World
of YouTube Stars Ryan ToysReview,
HobbyKidsTV, JillianTubeHD, and
EvanTubeHD $19, Walmart, Amazon
• Ryan’s World Plush Assortment
$8-$24 each, Walmart, Barnes &
Noble, Target
Why it Works
New online shows are posted
weekly featuring pocket.watch’s child
stars, Hecht says, and the regular-
ity of the relationship contributes
to young audiences returning. “And
there’s an intimacy to the way they’re
filmed, with their face to the cam-
era,” he says. “They have authenticity
and charisma. The shows are like
Real Housewives to 5-year-olds.
It’s reality TV.” ■
PLAYING THE FIELD
Among the top YouTube channels for kids, Adweek.com recommends these:
youtube.com/sesamestreet | youtube.com/user/yogabbagabba | youtube.com/user/pbs | youtube.com/user/houstonzoo | youtube.com/user/simplekidscrafts
MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE HOLIDAY 2018
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