YouTube Toy Reviewer Gets His Own Brand of Toys at Just 7 Years Old
In today’s digital society, people tend to check reviews for almost everything. For example, if your car is one of the 77% that is in need of maintenance or repairs, you might check reviews for auto shops before making a decision. But one unlikely reviewer is seven-year-old Ryan, who spends his free time reviewing toys on YouTube. And now, Ryan is getting his very own toy brand.
For the past three years, Ryan has brought in billions of views by posting videos of him reviewing various types of toys. His videos generally consist of him unboxing a toy, playing with it for a bit, and then giving a cute goodbye wave to his viewers. His videos have become extremely popular, especially with YouTube videos reaching more 18 to 49 year-olds than any cable network in the United States. And Ryan’s videos have made him a huge influencer in the toy industry.
With the growing popularity of Ryan’s videos, toymakers have paid Ryan and his parents to feature their toys over the years. According to Jim Silver, editor of toy review site TTPM.com, toys that Ryan chooses to feature in his videos can see an increase in sales. And while Ryan’s family declined to speak on how much money Ryan’s review videos bring in, Forbes magazine estimated that Ryan brought in about $11 million last year alone.
Kids these days do a lot of different activities for fun — like the 11 million kids who go to camp in the U.S. each year. But more and more kids are spending time online and watching YouTube channels like Ryan’s. And when they see his videos, they’re more likely to want the toys he’s featuring.
And now, Ryan isn’t just reviewing toys, but he has his own toy brand. Walmart started selling “Ryan’s World” toys last month. The toy line features a bright-colored slime that costs $4, a five-inch Ryan action figure that costs $9, and squishy toys shaped like french fries that cost $18. Walmart is the exclusive seller of the line, which also features t-shirts and stuffed animals along with the other toys. The retailer hopes that launching the toy brand will help bring in customers who were former Toys R Us shoppers as the holiday season approaches.
After the initial brand was stocked in stores, Ryan’s channel featured a video of him searching the Walmart aisles for his toys — the video received almost 10 million views in just one month. With 16 million subscribers to his channel, Ryan has a huge audience of people who already want to buy his toys.
And while Ryan won’t stay young forever, Chris Williams, founder and CEO of Pocket.watch, the company launching Ryan’s product line, expects the line to evolve and change with his tastes as he continues to grow up.
