YouTube’s Brandcast event was a genuine all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza boasting an array of stars with huge followings on the video platform – and a performance from the legend that bestrides both the internet and traditional media thanks to becoming a meme, pop singer Rick Astley.

Brandcast has become bigger and bigger as a platform to demonstrate the cultural reach and impact of YouTube. A packed audience made up of agency folk, brand marketers and Propellerites, of course, gathered at London’s Excel to be entertained and digest the latest YouTube data.

In between some classy compering by James Corden and diversions, including the song-and-dance number featuring a horde of YouTubers including Dan & Phil, Caspar Lee and Cupcake Jemma, Google President EMEA Matt Brittin and recently appointed Managing Director UK & Ireland Ronan Harris provided some salient insights.

Key messages included the fact while 73% of YouTube watch time by 18–34-year-olds is taking place on mobile, the fastest-growing screen for watching YouTube is now the TV set in the living room.  Nearly half of 16–34-year olds in the UK say they have watched YouTube on the TV. Watch time across all devices is now soaring with 18–34-year olds now watching 45 minutes of content on the platform every day.

Brittin pointed out: “Broadcast and digital video together are the most powerful tools for any campaign”, while both Corden and the Chief Executive Officer of FremantleMedia Group Cecile Frot-Coutaz highlighted the ability to create and distribute actively searched for premium content that can be watched at any time in any region across the globe and advertised against.

Ultimately, Brandcast delivered food for thought for the audience to digest and explore in their media planning and brand building campaigns of 2017.