Since the season finale of Love island dropped this weekend, let’s explore everything this show has brought and continues to bring each summer. Love Island is a masterclass on human behavior— not just the actual contestants, but also the audiences that the show reaches. From just one reality TV storyline, audiences create reactions, memes, hauls, tutorials, podcasts, “Nicolandria” edits, and much much more. According to Impact Media, there have even been watch parties that have transformed bars into third spaces which strengthen the bond between the Love Island community. This means the show is not just a guilty pleasure summer watch, but also a goldmine for advertisers that want to feel that connection with an already engaged audience.
Riding the Cultural Wave
Shows like Love Island draw massive viewership during each new episode and an even larger audience in the media frenzy that follows. After a “new bombshell enters the villa” or “Casa Amor is finally here”, tens of thousands of reaction pieces flood the internet: new podcast episodes, live reaction streams, commentary videos, cast interviews, highlight reels, fan theories, and more. These pieces of content all create powerful opportunities for advertisers to tap into the show’s passionate fanbase; not just during the broadcast, but throughout the ripple of culture and content that follow. Most major pop culture moments may last only a few hours on linear TV, but on YouTube, their impact can extend for weeks, allowing your ad campaign to reach audiences long after the episode airs.
Focusing on Authenticity
The popularity of Love Island season 6 has to do with a common theme in younger generations: the love of authenticity. According to Forbes, Gen Z is a demographic that actively rejects overly produced digital experiences. Although it’s called reality TV, we know it can sometimes be scripted, and viewers clock instantly when Islanders are more interested in followers than finding a genuine connection—and the same goes for ads. This is why, to stay coupled up with their audience, it’s important for advertisers to keep authenticity at the forefront of their messaging and placement. Creating engagement through contextually relevant and interactive ads is also key to winning this highly discerning audience and tapping into the fans that give you their trust.
From Voting to Viewing
The voting feature on Love Island shows that audiences love to have a say and engage with what they’re watching; they just have to care about it enough. Seeing their votes actually make a difference also keeps viewers watching because it fosters trust between the viewers and the show. This kind of genuine relationship is especially crucial for Gen Z, who value transparency and authenticity more than any previous generation. This season (season 7), 3.5 million people voted after one episode of the reality show. These numbers demonstrate that Love Island fans are willing to take action if it’s something they care about, whether it’s supporting their favorite person on the show or engaging with a brand that aligns with them. By aligning marketing with a show as popular as Love Island, you automatically get access to a whole audience that is ready to engage.
Align With the Aesthetic, Access the Audience
Brands like Maybelline and Megan Thee Stallion have successfully leveraged this by aligning themselves contextually with Love Island’s vibe. Maybelline, as an official partner of the show, designed a campaign that uses insider beauty secrets from LI cast members and beauty and confidence messaging that resonates with the show’s youthful, trend-conscious viewers. Megan Thee Stallion also tapped into the young and engaged fanbase (and the copious amounts of swimwear) of the show by making a guest appearance on episode 15 and promoting her new swimwear line. These aren’t random placements, they’re thoughtful matches that amplify brand relevance and audience connection.
Reaching Beyond the Linear Screen
However, getting ad space during the airing of the newest episode on linear TV is not only limited, but also expensive. Lucky for brands, YouTube offers many other avenues for advertisers to capture a real audience outside of the villa. Take the Call Her Daddy episode starring Leah Kateb fresh out of the villa.It’s a perfect way to measure how fans of Love Island naturally follow Leah’s story back from the villa into the real world. The video version alone has almost 1 million views which proves fans stay loyal to their favorites even after the final recoupling. Advertisers that are aligned to the Love Island community can take advantage of this content, taking advantage of placements adjacent to the podcast most listened to by women. YouTube channels like GQ and Buzzfeed have also featured the US Season 6 (last season) cast in recent video content just this week, proving that audiences are eager to continue following their favorite Islanders even after the finale. This kind of long term engagement offers brands additional avenues to connect with highly invested viewers.
The Ripple Effect Doesn’t End at the Villa
Just like Love Island, other franchises with a strong fandom also create their own ripple effect online. Think The Kardashians, The Bachelor, or Fortnite. By using the case study of Love Island we can see that these communities are worth targeting outside of their original platforms. Smart advertisers recognize the value in reaching these engaged fans wherever they gather, amplifying relevance and impact by meeting audiences beyond the TV screen.
This is where VuePlanner steps in! As the only YouTube Measurement Program partner 100% focused on YouTube, VuePlanner is a media intelligence and activation platform that helps brands and agencies maximize their YouTube investments surrounding major cultural events. Our team of experts are skilled at aligning your brands with a particular fandom. Our team will tap into our proprietary content and audience targeting tools to extend your brand’s reach beyond just a single episode of television and expand it into thousands of related videos on YouTube. Reach out to our team today to see what targeting options we can develop for your fandom audience.