David blends the characteristics of YouTube videos, Vines and Sitcoms to create a unique style that cannot be recreated. His videos are all 4 minutes and 20 seconds and they are made up of short, funny skits that blur the line between reality and scripted content. Every person in his videos has a clearly defined likeable personality that the viewers pick up on instantly, as if it were a TV show. The Vlog Squad do extravagant things in each video which leads to humour and often heart-warming moments (Like pranks, stunts and surprises). David portrays his life as idealistic and over the top, which is good for content. Yet all his videos feature very human moments, which makes the crazy situations more relatable.
This style is quite formulaic on paper, but it still allows David enough creative freedom to make videos that are unique and rewatchable. It could also be argued that the 4:20 length is reductive and often makes the stars of his vlogs seem archetypal. This can lead to the audience misunderstanding a person or situation due to only seeing part of the picture. However, most of the audience can look past this and realise that these "characters" are real people as well, who are actually friends with each other in real life.
The sketches within David's video are almost always very funny and clever. David can come up with crazy concepts that have never been done before and make them work. Like when he married his best friends mom. Or he can make the mundane in his life exciting. Like when its just him chatting with his friends. Few vlogs manage to do this as well as David's Vlog. It must also be noted that its not just David who makes this happen, the entire Vlog Squad around also contribute a lot to the bits in his videos.
As David becomes more wealthy he has more exciting opportunities for his videos (like buying his friends cars, and meeting celebrities for example). Yet he runs the risk of losing relatability with his viewers. If you watch one of his videos from 2017 its mainly just him hanging out with his friends in an apartment saying dumb jokes and puns. But if you watch one of his videos from 2021 its a lot of "HahHahAHhA look at this cool thing I just bought!" Him becoming out of touch was always a concern I had. Yet as of now it doesn't seem like an issue because the humour and personalities in his videos make what he does still relatable.
Early on in David's YouTube career, a pattern of troubling behaviour occurred which resurfaced in 2021. Many things occurred, but they all stemmed from David creating a seemingly toxic environment for his friends during videos. These events quite fairly dampened his legacy and we will see in the future whether David has learnt from these events or not.
David's videos remain some of the best on YouTube, and he has earned an almost cult like fanbase. His style works not only for the viewers enjoyment, but also for the YouTube algorithm since its fast paced nature keeps people watching more. Even though David's Vlog has definitely evolved over time and had different eras, David has still largely stuck to the same formula for 5+ years. His videos are still entertaining (debatably the most entertaining they've ever been), yet I am unsure how long he will be able to continue with this style. For a YouTuber to stay relevant they have to evolve their content, and as of now I can't imagine David doing anything different from the videos he's currently making. But he can't maintain the same formula up until he's 30+, or can he?
