This post is a long time coming. Last week I headed down to Seattle to listen to Wong Fu Productions speak. They’re three guys: Ted, Wes and Phil from California that shot to fame on Youtube and have been gaining momentum as the years gone by. I’ve been a long time fan – I think the first video I watched from them was in 2006. There have been a couple of opportunities to see them before – they were at UBC in 2006 and in Seattle last year too, but I’ve never had the time.
Before the talk, I wandered around Seattle a bit. A lot more than the last time I visited. The original plan was to wander around the University of Washington campus, but we ended up spending more time downtown instead. I ate at the Cheesecake Factory for the first time ever which was surprisingly good. I’m not a big fan of chain restaurants, but it was delicious. I was so stuffed I didn’t get to try the cheesecake – next time though!
The Wong Fu guys were hilarious in person. They made a lot more adult jokes in person than they do in their videos or blog. It was kind of weird! They talked about the beginning of their company, their struggle in trying to find an “identity” after graduating, how they are operating now and where they see themselves heading. They talked about their rise on Youtube, how using social media has helped them build their brand. They talked about their main target market, Asian Americans, and how they’re trying to break out of that mould. They also screened a bunch of things – most of which I’ve already seen, except one that has yet to be released.
/start nerd rant/
I have always wondered how they managed to earn money, but it must be from all their merchandise sales. Each shirt is $22 to purchase, but if they are ordering in bulk their unit costs is probably around $8 or so each. For WRC, we ordered 150 shirts at approx $9 each and they’re probably ordering even more – economies of scale! They sell other things too – DVDs, stuffed toys and other random accessories. I don’t remember the exact thing, but Ted summed it up best: they’re three guys, producing videos, while managing a brand (Are You a Nice Guy?). Pretty crazy…
/end nerd rant/
It was really interesting to see how these three guys embraced their passion and managed to build a company from it. In many ways, they are so inspirational – they found the ultimate dream.
Here are some of my fav videos:
The one that started it all – Yellow Fever!
Too cute!
This one is super adorable too
And their most recent one: When Five Fell. I really like this one too.
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