Top 20 Direct-to-Consumer Brands on YouTube

If you’ve watched any YouTube video in recent years, you’ve seen a sponsor read. And if you’re a YouTube creator yourself, you’ve probably wanted to get ahold of some of those same brands and get yourself a sponsorship. In this article, we’re breaking down 20 of the best direct-to-consumer brands that sponsor YouTube creators.

These brands have leveraged the growing power of e-commerce to bypass the middleman – the brick-and-mortar store. The online community has flocked to these businesses. Their success and their prolific YouTube sponsorships have helped these brands become household names.

1. Warby Parker

Warby Parker is a fantastic direct-to-consumer brand. They’ve found success for themselves by selling glasses frames for a much lower price than the dominant brands, and selling online rather than in stores. Their Home Try-On program is very popular, allowing buyers to order five frames to try on at home for free, with a pre-paid return label. You can find them sponsoring YouTube creators of all kinds and sizes, as they appeal to any kind of audience, since no particularly interest or demographics is specific to needing glasses.

2. Dollar Shave Club

Dollar Shave Club appeals to men, and to women with men in their lives! Every man needs to shave, and shaving is expensive thanks to the typical razor-and-blade business model. The company’s aim is to undercut the costs of traditional shaving brands. They operate as a subscription service, and send monthly packages to subscribers. While they are more likely to sponsor a channel with a male audience, there is still value to sponsoring a channel with a female audience, who may know a man in need of shaving gear. It also helps that DSC went viral with an early marketing video!

3. Casper

Casper mattresses was one of the earliest direct-to-consumer mattresses on YouTube. They disrupted the traditional mattress purchasing process by offering online selling. They sell just one model, which means there’s no decision paralysis while shopping. With a 100-day return policy, a compact package, and no need to go to a showroom, there is plenty of incentive to try them out. Since everyone needs to sleep, it’s easy for them to sponsor anyone.

4. Harry’s

Harry’s is another shaving-based direct-to-consumer brand with a subscription program. It was actually founded by a co-founder of Warby Parker, with the hope of replicating their success with low-pricing and high-quality products. While Dollar Shave Club sells razors from established brands, but for cheaper, Harry’s manufacturers their own custom razors, allowing them to control the whole production line. They can appeal to the same broad audience as Dollar Shave Club, however.

5. Blue Apron

Blue Apron is a direct-to-consumer meal subscription service that sends monthly meal prep boxes to customers. They have a lot of fierce competition from other brands. They came in early to the sponsorship game, and are still a big name in the world of YouTube sponsorships. This launched them to popularity, despite the competition. And everyone needs to eat, meaning that Blue Apron can appeal to anyone.

6. Glossier

Glossier is a makeup and beauty company. They have a purposefully curated selection of products, a dedicated community, and an easy way to shop. They appeal primarily to a female audience but can appeal to a wider audience as well through their quality skincare products.

7. MeUndies

MeUndies sells underwear and other basic clothing items, and has become known for their ads of scantily-clad attractive young people with matching underwear, but they are a common YouTube sponsor as well. Their direct-to-consumer model is great for online shopping, and their product just works!

8. Stitch Fix

Stitch Fix is a subscription service for clothing, and their handpicked selections have made them popular. They provide prepaid shipping labels to send back the clothing you didn’t like, and you only pay for what you keep. They provide clothing subscriptions for both men and women, so they appeal to both male and female audiences who are interested in fashion or even just adding some new pieces to their wardrobe that suit their personality.

9. Reformation

Reformation is a clothing brand for women’s clothing that manufactures most of their clothing in their Los Angeles factory. Thanks to cutting out the middleman, they charge lower prices than the competition. They are ethically oriented with a focus on sustainable fashion.

10. Leesa

Leesa is an online luxury mattress company, which offers a long 100-day trial period. They donate one mattress to a shelter for every ten sold. Much like their competitor Casper, they offer a high quality product for a much lower price than going through traditional means.

11. Bonobos

Bonobos is a men’s clothing brand that has made themselves one of the biggest US apparel brands to build themselves up online. They sell chinos with an excellent fit and tailored dress clothing, all for a reasonable low price.

12. BarkBox

BarkBox is a subscription box for dogs that includes treats and toys. Each month has a themed box with goodies that any dog or dog parent would enjoy.

13. Everlane

Everlane is an online clothing retailer that sells a small and curated selection of basic luxury clothing. They are able to offer low prices while also being very transparent about their supply chain. They also break down how much every stage of their supply chain costs them, so that you can see how much of a deal you’re getting compared to other luxury brands.

14. Chubbies

Chubbies sells men’s clothing, specifically colorful old-school shorts with short inseams. They embrace ridiculous names and their frat bro culture. They are a popular online brand for mens shorts, for men who want to be casual and stylish.

15. Dolls Kill

Dolls Kill is a women’s clothing brand with a focus on goth and punk styles, as well as other subcultures. They are intentionally opposed to standard fashion tastes, and their model photos are all taken from their Instagram followers who take photos of themselves wearing the merchandise.

16. Outdoor Voices

Outdoor Voices is an activewear brand that sells individual men’s and women’s clothing as well as kits of matched items. They purposefully stay away from the bright colors normally associated with activewear in favor of neutral colors. This direct-to-consumer brand is all about being healthy and active, but not pushing yourself to the limit.

17. Quip

Quip is a toothbrush brand created by dentists and designers. It’s simple and affordable and operates through a subscription service that sends new brush heads.

18. NatureBox

NatureBox is a health-conscious snack subscription box. Subscribers can choose from dozens of snacks each month, and rest easy knowing that their snacks are healthy and not loaded with sugars, salts, fats, or preservatives.

19. Schmidt’s

Schmidt’s is a deodorant brand that focuses on making natural and healthy deodorants. They are plant-based, vegan, and cruelty-free, so they hit a lot of key points that consumer like to see.

20. Hello Fresh

Hello Fresh is a food subscription box that has ingrained itself in many people’s lifestyles. They offer weekly deliveries with no waste, and they send just the right amount of ingredients. It allows younger people and those who are new to cooking to learn in the comfort of their own home with all the correct ingredients.

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