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The internet reacts to IShowSpeed clips displayed on a huge billboard in China, calling it "marketing on a whole different level."
Darren Watkins Jr, better known through his YouTube tag, has been in China for a while now and has been dubbed an accidental ambassador for his efforts towards improving the image of China, maybe not consciously, to the rest of the world. Recently, the YouTuber had a non-stop 6-hour video stream in the cities of Beijing and Shanghai that garnered him 10 million views combined.
But it wasn't the views, but rather the portrayal of the eastern country as hospitable and talking about all-around internet connectivity as well as the cleanliness in the cities, that earned him this title, as unbeknownst to him, he helped reverse decades of anti-Chinese propaganda.
According to people, the streamer has done more for the country than any carefully thought-out marketing strategies, especially during this tough time between the US and China and their tariff war.
Now, whether to honour his efforts or for marketing reasons, old clips of IShowSpeed have resurfaced in the most unusual form. The streamer's old viral videos were being played on a huge digital billboard, as spotted by netizens.
Internet reacts to IShowSpeed's billboard
As usual, the internet had quite a hilarious response to this eccentric event, as not everyone expects to see an American influencer on the streets of China in the form a billboard. From memes to funny quips, the netizens had everything to offer.
"That’s marketing on a whole different level." - one person said.
While another user commented, "Speed might be bigger than Michael Jackson atp"
One fan also said, "Yo, that's wild! IShowSpeed going global, you love to see it."
"China should declare him as a president now!" - another commented hilariously.
Speed has been creating quite a lot of content that points to the culturally vibrant landscape of China,
"This is what China looks like! This is China right here!"
He said this in his Shanghai stream while looking at Shanghai's Bund area, which features the landmark Oriental Pearl Tower and modern skyscrapers. The impact he has had in the past few weeks caused an uproar on social media, leading China’s embassy in Washington to also respond:
"The 20-year-old popular American YouTuber #IShowSpeed @ishowspeedsuii has kicked off a journey in #China that has already garnered massive global attention, which indicates a broader trend of digital influencers bridging cultural gaps and creating alternative channels for foreign audiences to understand a vibrant China. 🇨🇳#240hourvisafree #chinatravel"
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