Kiss Me, I’m Desperate - Creator
YouTube | 2013
Original Social Experiment | Viral Video | 400M+ Estimated Reach
Kiss Me I’m Desperate started as a playful, heartwarming idea: stand in public with a hand-drawn sign and see what happens. The result was a viral phenomenon that struck an emotional chord around the world. What began as a self-produced YouTube video quickly evolved into a globally shared social experiment, garnering 100M+ views on YouTube alone and an estimated 400M+ total impressions through viral reposts, coverage, and clips that still circulate to this day.
This video became the biggest success of my YouTube career and solidified a creative formula I returned to often: surprise, human connection, and joyful disruption. From painting myself as a gargoyle to bringing a live brass band to the beach for a Jaws-themed prank, or building a mistletoe contraption to spark spontaneous moments, my channel embraced the unexpected in ways that delighted millions.
My Role
Created, produced, and starred in a globally viral video
Developed a repeatable content style that blended social experiment, play, and heart
Directed every aspect of production, from concept and filming to editing and thumbnail strategy
Studied audience behavior across platforms and regions to understand content resonance at scale
Impact
💋 100M+ views on YouTube, with continued viral reposts generating tens of millions more per clip
🌍 Estimated 400M+ global impressions, driven by the video’s mostly language-free, universally relatable concept
🧠 Built deep insight into global audience psychology, how simple, emotionally resonant content travels
🎯 Established a content model that inspired dozens of other successful social experiments and branded integrations