In 2011, a vlogger friend introduced German Garmendia to YouTube, kicking off his journey toward stardom. The Chilean gained a mostly Latin American following by filming videos of him goofing off while doing everyday tasks – applying for jobs, working out on his gym days, meeting new companions.
After years of uploading and posting relatable content to YouTube, his JuegaGerman channel has close to 45M subscribers.
Though he can speak English, German creates content in Spanish. Some credit his success to his choice to only speak in his native language and his content’s mimicking popular telenovelas tropes and LatAm entertainment.
In Lexi Pandell’s Wired profile of the creator, she writes: “Garmendia, it seems, filled a particular need at the nexus of cultural heritage and new media. His videos flirted not only with the exaggerated telenovela style but also with classic LatAm comedies.” That said, many connect with German because Lexi writes, “(N)o matter your cultural background, you have grandparents or have traveled somewhere or have felt lazy or have listened to music. Garmendia has videos about all of those things.”
The 30-something creator has also written a book and expanded from a YouTube jokester to a pop musician.
YouTuber @GermanGarmendia uses his authenticity and relatability to attract his primary #LatAm audience crosses other demographics, too. #Stan #ContentEntrepreneur Click To TweetWhy we’re a Stan: German Garmendia recognizes the value of authenticity and relatability to attract your primary audience eventually can lead to connecting with and crossing over to other demographics.
About the author
Shameyka McCalman is a wordsmith whose work often centers around fashion, art, and other creatives of color. She earned her communications degree from the University of Massachusetts Boston and enjoys sifting through clothes in local vintage shops, frequenting nearby plays, and gazing at exhibitions on view in museums.
