By Sarah BregelOptions correspondent
Alyssa Eckstein and Cayden Christianson gained 25 million social media followers as The Pink Shirt Couple. Now that they’ve damaged up, what is going to occur to their following?
Cayden (Cayda) Christianson and Alyssa Eckstein, identified to their thousands and thousands of YouTube followers as “The Pink Shirt Couple“, have formally damaged up. The Arizona-based former couple, who amassed greater than 25 million followers on social media, introduced their break up on Saturday. In a video, posted to their channels, the pair informed their viewers the information: “We did break up as a pair,” Christianson, 23, shared. “We’re nonetheless actually shut as pals and care very deeply about one another.”
The influencers, who met in 2021 whereas on the swim group in faculty, have seen mega success as joint content material creators. They started by creating particular person video content material earlier than they began relationship. Then, they bought in on trending challenges collectively, earlier than discovering their shtick – posting foolish movies they needed to be acceptable for all ages, all whereas carrying matching pink shirts daily. A few of their movies doc the couple studying new issues, like Eckstein taking a martial arts class for the primary time, or the pair discovering out what occurs as they try to wax the fuzz off of peaches.
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The pink shirt gimmick did not damage, both. Cindy Marie Jenkins, a social media knowledgeable and founding father of OutThinkMedia, says it began when Christianson “bought numerous compliments on his pink polo shirt” and Eckstein joined in “for enjoyable”. They possible noticed a big bump in visitors and determined to maintain doing what works. “It actually matches their content material and interesting nature,” she explains of the cheeky, light-hearted movies. In a video posted on 8 October 2023, the previous couple addressed questions on why they put on matching outfits, and confirmed off their utterly pink-cloaked closet. “We tried to do trend,” Eckstein defined on the time. “A potato sack might’ve dressed higher than us,” Christianson added.
Jenkins says the previous couple’s success completely wasn’t unintentional, however well-executed. “A part of their technique arose from attending VidCon in 2022 after having micro-influencer success with Rubik’s Dice Awards and particular person content material,” says Jenkins. “In 2022, YouTube needed to compete with TikTok and launched YouTube Shorts.” Jenkins says that is when the couple switched gears to creating “particular YouTube Shorts content material”. She additionally says that the couple, particularly Eckstein, dug into analytics and educated herself about what drives visitors, which they’ve opened up about of their movies.
The laborious work paid off, and now, these followers are invested. “Pls inform me it is a joke,” reads the highest touch upon Instagram. “I believe it’s actual,” one other commenter notes, including they suspected one thing when Cayden “wasn’t in any of the movies for a very long time”.
Understanding their followers would have quite a bit to say concerning the break up, the previous couple used the breakup announcement video to clarify what would occur to their joint accounts. Christianson, who shared that he wasn’t as invested as his former accomplice in creating content material anymore, mentioned he would be the one to step apart. “I began benefiting from her and letting her do extra work,” he mentioned within the video, explaining he had felt uninspired by their collaboration.
Eckstein, then, would be the one to maintain the PinkShirtCouple identify. She tells BBC Tradition that she has no dangerous emotions in the direction of her ex, and is worked up to maintain at it. “For what’s subsequent, I’m nonetheless making content material on the principle channel so long as the viewers really feel that it’s OK,” she shared. “I’ve so many massive concepts, and my purpose to make superb content material to encourage folks to be themselves nonetheless stands.” Eckstein additionally says that, post-breakup, she plans to lean into inspiring folks to get into volunteer work. “The content material goes to be comparable, however completely different, establishing who I’m as a person,” she says.
Whereas Christianson and Eckstein have been profitable as content material creators throughout their time collectively, Jenkins says that the problem they now face is by no means unusual for paired-up influencers. “There are lots of {couples} who get massive and develop their affect as a pair, particularly after they’re younger,” she explains. “Nevertheless it’s very laborious to be a pair and enterprise companions and ‘present’ your relationship on-line on a regular basis, the place it’s important to be constructive for the digicam.”
Christianson might be utilizing the identify ThePinkShirtSingle for his content material shifting ahead.
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