How the Nelk Boys turned prank content into a multi-million dollar brand

How do you go from seeking attention by any means necessary, to monetisation, to political influence?

Just ask the Nelk Boys. In just a few years, they grew their brand from a group of Canadian bros pulling off pranks to YouTube's favourite boys. And now, they're pulling in $70 million a year from merchandise alone.

If you want a lesson in strong branding and master marketing, you should be studying Full Send.

Whether it’s protein powder, NFT’s, beer or merch, the Nelk Boys have utilised their following to create a lucrative business model. And now, they're leveraging their hungry fan base to pull in millions of dollars each month.

But they’re not just a successful business. Their relationship with UFC president Dana White and Donald Trump means the group is now a potent political force. Because there's no denying the influence they have over the millions of young men that worship the Full Send brand.

The first Episode of Full Send was only launched in September 2021. So how did a group of delinquent 20-somethings pull off such a high level of growth in such a short space of time?

The 'bad boys' of YouTube.

Nelk’s name is a combination of the first initial of each of the group’s four founders (Nick, Elliot, Lucas, and Kyle). The guys pride themselves on being authentic, or never being 'fake for the camera,' as leader Kyle Forgeard has said.

This authenticity has attracted a huge fan base of over 8 million subscribers on YouTube alone. It shines through their content, which is often edgy and pushes (a lot of) boundaries. The Nelk Boys do pranks and skits most people wouldn’t even think of attempting. Basically, they love to do crazy sh*t. And their audience loves to watch them do it.

The Full Send brand began as a reflection of the boys' 'party hard' mentality. But it has since evolved into a symbol of giving your all to any pursuit, a value that continues to encompass the brand and their content as it grows.

While their audience may have loved this ‘go hard’ mindset, YouTube certainly didn’t.

Particularly after the Nelk Boys promoted an in-person college party at Illinois State University in the peak of COVID, 2020. This led to the demonetisation of their channel shortly after. YouTube attributed the decision to the platform's Creator Responsibility Policy, claiming Nelk had 'harmed YouTube users by hosting a group of people and thereby violating COVID-19 regulations.'

Without YouTube ad profit, the group needed a way to make money. This was the catalyst to the beginning of their merchandise empire.

Using the same model as Supreme, the Nelk Boys sell their Full Send clothing merch in one-time limited drops. And they only make 2000 items in each one.

Once the entire drop is sold out, you're out of luck until the next one. Due to their incredibly loyal fan base, these drops sell out in minutes, with site traffic reaching over 300,000 people at a time.

The group have also expanded into other areas of business, like Happy Dad Seltzer (now worth over $250 million) and Full Send Supplements.

Each of these businesses leverages the Nelk cult-like fan base to sell out quickly at every product launch.

But the true reason it works so well for them is that the boys aren’t selling products. They’re selling a lifestyle that their audience desperately wants to be a part of.

By creating their own ecosystem of products and subscriptions, the Nelk Boys are not only able to sell videos, seltzers, and clothes. They’re able to maintain the loyalty of their fanbase while actively selling them what they all yearn for--the ability to be a part of something as 'cool' as the Nelk Boys.

They’re selling the idea, the mindset, the feeling of Full Send. And Nelk have been super clever in harnessing this strategy to grow an empire.

So, how can your brand take a page from the Nelk Boys' book?

Remember, authenticity drives loyalty. The Nelk Boys’ success is rooted in their authentic, unfiltered content, which resonates deeply with their audience. As a brand, make sure you're staying true to your values. Because this will help you cultivate a loyal fanbase that wants to buy whatever you're selling.

Scarcity is a powerful marketing tool. By adopting a Supreme-style drop model, the Nelk Boys have effectively created a sense of urgency and exclusivity around their merchandise. So consider how you can use limited availability to heighten demand around your products.

Sell the lifestyle, not the product. By tapping into their audience’s desire to be part of the 'Full Send' culture, The Nelk Boys have built a powerful brand ecosystem that extends beyond merchandise to include seltzers, supplements, and more, all while maintaining strong community engagement. So think about how to create a sense of identity around your brand by showing your audience what kind of lifestyle they are buying into.

-Sophie, Writer