On September 20, 2011, 604 Records released Carly Rae Jepsen’s song, “Call Me Maybe,” in Canada; however, it wasn’t until 2012 that it went viral in the United States. This was the moment that kickstarted her global career and gave America a collective earworm for months on end, but how did this pop-star become so famous? Through social media!
Jepsen is in the company of many other celebs who got their start as international sensations on YouTube, Twitter, and Vine. Keep reading to learn more about their stories!
YouTube
CARLY RAE JEPSEN
In late 2011, former celebrity couple Justin Bieber (who was famously discovered on YouTube, but we all know that story) and Selena Gomez were traveling in Canada when they heard her catchy hit. Bieber tweeted about the song:
His endorsement created international attention for the pop-star. The following February, Bieber, Gomez, Ashley Tisdale and more uploaded their own music video to the tune, which went viral, leading up to the song’s U.S. release on April 17, 2012. By late June, it hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed put for nine consecutive weeks. Currently, Jepsen’s video has 708.5 million views and counting, while the song has approximately 4 billion plays in your head.
JENNA MOUREY (JENNA MARBLES)
Jenna Mourey, famously known as Jenna Marbles, kickstarted her YouTube career when she uploaded the video “How To Trick People Into Thinking You’re Good Looking” on July 9, 2010. Within one week of its existence, it was watched over 5.3 million times. By 2011, her silly video “How To Avoid Talking To People You Don’t Want To Talk To” was being featured in news outlets as established as the New York Times, and is currently at almost 35 million views.
Using her newfound YouTube fame, Mourey’s made several TV appearances, and has released a line of dog toys based off her own pets, Kermit and Marbles. Mourey posts a new video every week to her YouTube channel, so stay tuned for her next GIF-worthy upload and get ready for some laughs!
IAN ANDREW HECOX & ANTHONY PADILLA (SMOSH)
Ian Andrew Hecox and Anthony Padilla, the comedy duo better known as Smosh, first debuted on YouTube in late 2005 with their video “Power Rangers Theme,” which has over 9 million views. They consistently began posting videos and by 2006, were winners of the comedy award from the site for their video “Smosh Short 2: Stranded.” The pair has continued to expand their content and currently has 10 Smosh-related channels, as well as “SMOSH: The Movie.”
MEGAN AMRAM
Megan Amram, a Harvard graduate, is best known for her hilarious one-liners on Twitter. Her first tweet that went viral was:
https://twitter.com/meganamram/status/189404367319859200
Rob Delaney, a comedian who also found fame on the medium, was one of her big supporters when she was just getting started. From the beginning, he regularly retweeted her, helping expose her to his many followers, and has continued to support her throughout the years. Her humor on the Internet paid off; she scored a gig as a writer for NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” and recently released a parody textbook titled Science… For Her!
BRYAN DONALDSON
Bryan Donaldson discovered Twitter in 2010 and began using it as an outlet for comedic relief. He was a regular guy living in Illinois as an IT professional when Alex Baze discovered his talents and got him an interview to write for “Late Night With Seth Meyers” with producer Mike Shoemaker and Meyers himself. After only 15 minutes with them, Donaldson was hired!
Vine
SHAWN MENDES
Many people are familiar with Shawn Mendes’s songs “Life of the Party” and “Something Big,” but not too many people know that it was his six-second covers that jumpstarted his career. In 2013, Mendes began uploading Vines of himself covering songs like Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me,” 5 Seconds of Summer’s “She Looks So Perfect,” and Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks.” The following year, he was discovered by artist manager Andrew Gertler and Island Records A&R manager Ziggy Chareton, who gave him a record deal. His popularity has grown immensely over the last year and he landed himself a spot opening for Taylor Swift on her 1989 Tour.
NASH GRIER
Nash Grier was a normal high schooler living in North Carolina when Vine was launched and he started making videos for fun. His followers quickly grew and he eventually decided to join MAGCON, a meet and greet convention for Internet sensations. This convention further boosted his popularity, and he is currently living in Beverly Hills pursuing his acting career. Grier will soon be acting alongside a close friend in the film The Outfield, which we’re sure his 12 million followers can’t wait to see. Will they give the movie over 3 billion views, too? Time will tell!
ANDREW BACHELOR (KINGBACH)
Similar to Grier, Andrew Bachelor was just a regular guy when he discovered Vine. He created an online persona for himself as King Bach and his popularity skyrocketed with his humorous videos, which eventually led to a deal with the United Talent Agency and a role on “House of Lies.” He also had a recurring role on “The Mindy Project” and currently acts in “Black Jesus” on Adult Swim. Bach has collaborated with many other Vine Sensations, as well as celebrities like Justin Bieber and Tyga. He currently has 13.2 million followers and over 4 billion loops.
These are only just a handful of the hundreds of stars born on the Internet, each one emphasizing the power and urgency of social media. Who are your favorite people to watch online? Let us know in the comments!
Metter Media LLC is a Boston-based social media management company that implements community-based, localized social engagement strategies for small businesses and corporations alike. Need help with your social media? Email Lauren today.
