Making the Most of A Moment

Brendan Jordan. The name may not immediately ring a bell but if you are active on any form of social media then you should keep reading. A little over a month ago, a new shopping center opened near Las Vegas, NV. The grand opening ceremony was featured on several local news stations. One portion of the broadcast featured a backdrop of happy children who were cheering and applauding to express their excitement. One child in particular, Brendan Jordan, took another route. He decided to perform Lady Gaga choreography as if he was on stage with her. His performance went viral. Personally, I saw several pictures of him on Instagram followed by a Facebook post which featured the below video.

I doubt I have to point out who Brendan Jordan is now. Once the video made its way to YouTube and various social media outlets, his many facial expressions were turned into internet memes (a piece of media which spreads as mimicry). The news reporters in the video began tweeting about how they were hilariously overshadowed and hoped to one day have as much confidence as he. In the meantime, his follower count on Instagram began steadily raising. The people wanted more of the teenage dancing divo. Lady Gaga even tweeted her excitement about Brendan’s exposure.

Brendan, a 15 year old from Las Vegas, NV, turned his own world upside down in a matter of 30 seconds. Considering his overnight semi-stardom, several brands began realizing the power in Brendan. It is not often that a 15-year-old gay male who is so comfortable in his own skin is featured in the media and praised for being himself. Shortly after the video made its rounds, clothing brand American Apparel held a photoshoot for Brendan at their headquarters in downtown Los Angeles. Other brands have sent him shoes, glasses and jewelry in exchange for exposure on his social media accounts. Most recently Brendan created a YouTube channel- it has one video “Brendan Jordan- Are You Gay?” which currently boasts over 400,000 views in less than a week.

Brands like American Apparel have recognized the power in Brendan’s moment. Considering he has no product to sell of his own at the moment, his followers are buying into what he likes and wears, so why not be the brand who is sponsoring him for free? These companies send him a small sampling of their product- in turn, his followers buy out the stores because they love Brendan and want to be like. A few free shirts and jackets is a very small investment for the return Brendan’s fans are likely to give them.