Top 5 Brand Videos of the Week: Halloween Comes Early with Ghosts, Out-of-Control AI and Dangerous Beaches

Welcome to our roundup of the most viewed brand videos on YouTube this week.

We publish this excerpt from a larger Gospel Stats Weekly Brand Report to analyze sponsorship trends in the creator economy. Any video published together with an official brand partner can be included in the ranking.

And – as the name suggests – all data comes from Gospel Statistics. If you want to learn more about Gospel – and know which brands sponsor which YouTubers – click here.

In this edition of Weekly Brand Report, we're taking a break from MrBeast (mainly because he didn't release a blockbuster video during the time period measured for this ranking). In his place, one of YouTube's most impressive duos has taken the top spot on the list. They promoted an online counseling service in a scary video. After seeing their latest work, you might need therapy, too. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's dive right in and discuss the sponsored YouTube videos that garnered the most views during the second full week of August.

#1 Survive 3 haunted houses in 50 hours | Gettysburg
Channel: Sam and Colby
Brand: BetterHelp
Views: 5,699,747

Compared to many other developers, Sam and ColbyHaunted house explorations don't come to YouTube all that often. The horror-hunting pair often go several months at a time without uploading new fright-fests, but when they finally deliver, the result is usually spectacular. The first upload to their main YouTube channel in nearly a month featured a visit to three haunted houses in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where one of the most decisive (and deadly) battles of the Civil War was fought. Their sponsor, BetterHelpis the perfect antidote for anyone haunted by ghosts. With a little talk therapy, any fear can be overcome.

#2 AI – The last invention of humanity?
Channel: Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
Brand: Brilliant
Views: 4,188,400

If a walk through a haunted house doesn't get your heart racing, let me introduce you to an even more threatening phobia: out-of-control AI! The latest video from German educators In short is a story of human invention that is also a warning about advances in AI. According to the Animation Hub, our current path of AI development could lead us to a point where AI can think and develop ideas faster than we can – just as we outpaced other species when we were Homo erectus. That sounds like the kind of “nihilistic optimism” Kurzgesagt is famous for. Its sponsor Brilliant can be helpful for anyone who wants to explore new ideas. However, we can't promise that any of the platform's courses will make you smarter than the AI.

#3 Venezuela's most dangerous beach!
Channel: Kurt Caz
Brand: Manhood
Views: 4,029,495

Let's move from scary technology to scary geography. Travel Creator Kurt Caz is famous for his off-the-beaten-path adventures, and one of his recent sponsored videos is just that. Caz returned to Venezuela, the place where he filmed his most-watched long-form video. This time, his travels took him to La Guaira, a coastal town he describes as the most dangerous beach in the world. Despite his prejudices, Caz meets some locals, encourages them on Instagram, and even does a bit of business for his sponsor, Manscaped. The result is a video that reminds viewers that there's more to countries like Venezuela than meets the eye.

#4 Hawaii: Paradise becomes hell
Channel: Tyler Oliveira
Brand: Delete me
Views: 3,503,658

Speaking of creatives who travel to places that many would rather avoid: Tyler Oliveira is back on Weekly Brand Report. Last time we met him, he was chatting to locals in a town full of registered sex offenders. This time, he still has the same sponsor – a digital identity tracker Delete me — but he has his sights set on a new place. His video about the slow, steady decline of the Hawaiian Islands may have been buoyed by a recent John Oliver video on the same subject. Oliveira's version adds some interviews with locals for a raw look at a place that's fallen on hard times.

BONUS #1.523 Fearless Stunt Horse for House of the Dragon Cosplay
Channel: This Esme
Brand: NOW
Views: 29,873

To recap, the top 4 videos in the Weekly Brand Report were about haunted houses, AI, and two unlucky places. After all that, you might need a mood lifter, so let's get some stunt horses in ASAP. The vlogger known as This Esme needed a mount to complete it House of the Dragon-inspired cosplay, so she got herself a stunt horse and got to work. Her dedication to her craft will inspire horse lovers everywhere, but it is also a reminder that House of the Dragon can be viewed on the NOW Streaming service that – thanks to the acquisition of the European broadcaster (and NOW operator) by Xfinity Heaven — is now available to watch in the United States. Now that you know, NOW can be your main streaming hub going forward.

…and there is a lot more data that this comes from. If you want to know more about Gospel – and which brands sponsor which creators on YouTube – click here.