When audiences come to YouTube, they are seeking something more than a quick scroll. They’re looking for content that is trustworthy, entertaining, and that delivers lasting value.
Whether it’s tuning into Hot Ones, taking a deep dive into “Life of a Showgirl” lore, or researching a new skin care routine, this high-intent, evergreen consumption sets YouTube apart. While other platforms thrive on the 24-hour trend cycle, successful YouTube creators secure, long-term relevance by setting trends and anchoring on genres endemic to the platform. The data confirms this. On average, over 60% of organic watch time for the top 1,000 brand channels came from content published 30 days prior.1
The takeaway for brands? Adopt a creator mindset in 2026. Success today means pairing YouTube trends with the genres that creators define, and there’s no better guide than creators themselves. To help brands succeed, we partnered with Creative Works, a team of YouTube creative experts, and used Gemini to analyze videos and ads across the globe with the highest view and engagement rates on YouTube in 2025. Our analysis uncovered 10 creator-led genres that have stood the test of time while also evolving with the platform.
Explore the genres below, and see how advertisers leveraged them for impact.
1. Challenges
The challenge genre wins by building suspense to retain audiences, especially younger viewers. Fifty-eight percent of surveyed Gen Zers participated in a challenge in the past 12 months.2
- Hyperskilled challenges: Aldi’s chef cooking challenge attracted 2 million food lovers.
- Sports challenges: Sonic leveraged the popularity of sports-related challenges with “Punt, Pass, Kick,” which scored 12,000 likes and more than 300 comments.
- Gamified or transformation challenges: L’Oréal launched its “Truth or Torture” challenge miniseries with popular YouTube beauty creators. The campaign drove a best-in-class 15% relative lift in brand awareness.
2. Behind the scenes
YouTube audiences love an exclusive look at the creation process, which builds trust and authenticity for brands.
- How it’s made: Warner Brothers took fans on the journey into the making of “Joker 2,” resulting in a 2.5% awareness lift.
- Day in the life: Creator Alix Earle shared how she gets ready for family dinner with Google in a Short that generated 8 million views.
- Mini-documentaries: Fujifilm captivated 2 million viewers with a cinematic short film.
3. Real and raw conversations
Instead pitching a product, brands followed the lead of creators, using interviews to center their brands in authentic discussions.
- Customer spotlight: Hinge chatted with couples who met using its app, which lifted brand favorability to 6.01% and drove over 250K lifted users.
- Video podcasts: Chase partnered with podcasters Erin and Sara Foster to position its Sapphire Reserve card as a travel essential.
- Brands as thought leaders: Volvo interviewed a chef about transporting ingredients with electric vehicles.
4. DIY and how-to
The DIY and how-to genre drives significant intent, accumulating over 5 billion views with “DIY” in the U.S. over the past 12 months.3 This genre continues to evolve, with YouTube creators educating audiences in creative ways.
- Skits: Coursera balanced education with entertainment and successfully generated a 24% search lift for its brand.
- Show the process: Aquaphor tapped into popular DIY creator Alisha Marie, and her audience of more than 7 million subscribers, to craft an “emotional support kit” that emphasizes slow creation.
- Hero the solution: Depop had a creator explain how she sells clothes for extra money, leading to a 5.71% lift in brand awareness.
5. Soundscapes
From ASMR to ads that feel like music videos, brands are giving audiences a full, distinctive sensory experience, making sound an effective tool for generating hyperspecific engagement and emotional connection.
6. Listicles
The listicle genre wins by offering a quick rush of ideas that drive viewer retention. Leading brands are leaning into hyperspecificity to target high-intent audiences.
- Decision-making guides: Apple helped 62 million people decide which iPhone 17 model to buy.
- Practical tips: L.L. Bean offered tips for hiking with your dog, reaching over 2 million dog lovers.
7. I tried …
The “I tried …” genre builds trust, and its high utility is proven. YouTube is the No. 1 choice for product reviews and information, including among Gen Z.4
- Unscripted reviews: Food brands like Popeye’s, Arby’s, and Jimmy Johns collaborated with creators on new menu-item reviews, filmed from their cars for a casual feel.
- Product transformation: One beauty creator shared her experience using La Roche Posay to reduce dark spots, while Klorane showcased a routine for combating hair loss.
8. With me …
These videos achieve high retention rates by creating a powerful sense of virtual companionship for audiences, regardless of production value.
- High-fi: Using a cinematic approach, Expedia brought viewers along with a filmmaker as she traveled through Azerbaijan.
- Lo-fi: A fashion creator went all-in on styling watches she scored on eBay, delighting nearly 9 million viewers.
9. Reactions
Audiences crave a shared experience. Sixty-four percent of people (online, 14–44 years old) agree that watching an event (for example, Oscars, Grammys, Coachella) feels incomplete without the reactions, commentary, and content around the event.5
- Demos: Google showcased Giannis Antetokounmpo’s reactions to the Gemini features in his Pixel 10 Pro smartphone, reaching 300K viewers.
- Fan commentary: Prime Video had “The Summer I Turned Pretty” cast react to fan comments, fueling even more fan participation.
- Teasers: Sony successfully captured fan reactions to “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc,” while also teasing out clips from the movie.
10. Official drops
When audiences seek out the next big thing, YouTube is the definitive destination for official launches and big reveals, often setting the cultural tone.
- Official ads, amplified by creators: Focus Features promoted “Honey Don’t” by pairing its official trailer with creator ads. This combination drove a 32% increase in view rate, compared to showing the trailer only.
- High-impact product reveals: Saint Laurent debuted its winter collection with Christopher Walken, an approach that garnered 16 million views.
Prepare for 2026
There is no better way to tap into these genres than partnering with YouTube creators to create top-performing ads. Look for your next creative partner through YouTube’s creator partnership hub. Seeking more inspiration from top-performing ads? Explore our latest best in ads feature.
