GET IN THE ROBOT
Co-Creator, Lead Producer, Content Strategist
In 2018, Frederator Digital looked towards expanding their library of channels, which, at the time, included Channel Frederator, The Leaderboard, and Cartoon Hangover. I was part of a small braintrust that had decided that a channel that had anime as its focus. As one of the “anime experts” in the office, I became one of the key leaders to spearhead the creation and development of the channel, now known as Get In The Robot.
OBJECTIVE
“We love anime” - the first words ever uttered by the brand, and what we hoped to share with everyone. The goal was to create a channel that welcomed the anime-curious, and not shun them for being new to the fandom; a place where veteran fans could relive their favorite shows, but from a new perspective; and a space that highlighted individuals from all walks of life, and their experiences with anime. Finally, we wanted to have fun with it, and weren’t afraid to be a little silly.
EXECUTION
I was one of the key leads in the creation of Get In The Robot. I developed our approach to topics and titles covered by the channel, and, by working closely with the head writer and graphic designer, helped create the brand identity and aesthetic, leaning more towards pastels and nature to create juxtaposition to the cold, robotic roots of Frederator’s mascot, and the show our channel references, Neon Genesis Evangelion.
The first phase for the channel was growth, so, when it came to content, in order to garner an audience as fast as possible, our launch period focused on covering the biggest shows at the time, My Hero Academia and Attack on Titan. Most of the channel’s early videos were often times being a type of explainer as it provided the most utility for a wider audience. As a host-driven channel, we wanted to highlight the hosts as much as possible, so regardless of the topic, each host would give scripts a pass to ensure that the contents matched their own opinions and tone.
Now that the primary hosts were established on the channel, the audience started to discover who their favorite host was. The second phase for the channel focused on host and audience development, and one of the priorities for this phase was letting the hosts’s personalities shine. It was during this phase that we got some of our most deep and personal pieces as a brand. Regardless of performance, we would frequently lean on pieces that focused on hosts’ experience with anime. This allowed our hosts to speak their mind, and directly talk to their fans.
With a growing fanbase on YouTube, we felt that it was time to start seeking opportunities to expand off-platform. Around the first anniversary of its inception, Get In The Robot, in collaboration with the YouTube Space NY, launched its first live activation, “Get In The Robot Live in NYC.” The event featured a Q&A panel, the live debut of Cristal Marie’s track “Anime Girl,” a sample of Yedoye Travis’s comedy set, and a meet-and-greet with the hosts.
THE RESULTS
In less than 2 years, Get In The Robot generated…