Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry have launched Colin & Samir Start Over, a four-part YouTube series made with Lexus and supported by Google Creative Works. The July 14 debut follows the duo across the United States as they complete four creative projects, offering a closer look at how creator-led branded entertainment is being produced.
Key Takeaways
- The first installment of Colin & Samir Start Over launched on July 14, 2026.
- The four-part project follows creative activities involving music, off-roading, surfboard shaping, and chai.
- Lexus GX 550 and RZ 550e vehicles appear throughout the cross-country production.
- Google Creative Works helped connect the creators, Lexus, and YouTube.
- Additional installments are scheduled to roll out during the remainder of 2026.
The Colin & Samir Lexus YouTube series has begun rolling out as a collaboration between the creator duo, Lexus, and Google.
The four-part production follows Rosenblum and Chaudry as they travel across the United States and pursue creative projects outside their usual studio environment. The first installment became available on July 14, with additional releases planned throughout 2026.
The project combines paid YouTube distribution with sponsored videos published through Colin & Samir’s own channel. Rather than using the creators only to deliver a prepared endorsement, the collaboration gives them a role in shaping the concept, production style, and narrative.
“Creators can be true creative partners for brands and vice versa,” Rosenblum said. “This series gave us the chance to build something that felt true to us, true to Lexus, and natural to the way people actually watch on YouTube.”
Colin & Samir Lexus YouTube Series Starts With Four Projects
The collaboration is titled Colin & Samir Start Over. Each installment centers on a different creative activity completed during the pair’s travels.
The announced projects include making music, off-roading, shaping surfboards, and learning to make chai. The Lexus GX 550 and Lexus RZ 550e appear throughout the journey and provide the transportation connecting the different locations and activities.
The creative projects remain the main focus of the episodes. The vehicles form part of the travel format without turning every installment into a conventional product demonstration.
That structure gives the campaign a continuing narrative rather than limiting it to a single sponsored post. It also creates several opportunities to present the partnership across long-form videos, shorter advertisements, and other YouTube placements.
Creator-Led Production Replaces a Standard Advertising Brief
The Lexus collaboration reflects a model in which creators contribute more than their image or audience reach.
Colin & Samir helped develop the campaign with Google Creative Works, an internal consultancy that connects brands with creators and supports campaigns designed for Google platforms. The project was created specifically around YouTube viewing habits rather than being adapted from a television commercial.
Rosenblum said the partnership allowed the pair to produce material that fit their established creative identity while still serving the brand’s campaign goals.
The approach aligns with growing attention to creator trust in campaigns. As audiences become more selective about sponsored media, brands are placing greater importance on whether a collaboration fits the creator’s normal content and voice.
Lisa McQueen, senior manager of Lexus marketing, described the project as a partnership based on shared interests in reinvention, thoughtful storytelling, and purposeful creativity.
“Our partnership with Colin and Samir reflects a shared commitment to reinvention, thoughtful storytelling, and creativity with purpose,” McQueen said.
Google Connects the Creators, Brand, and Platform
Google participated in the collaboration through its U.S. Creative Works team.
The team helped bring together Colin & Samir, Lexus, and YouTube while supporting a campaign designed to work within the platform’s advertising and creator ecosystem.
Kevin Babcock, head of creative partnerships for U.S. Creative Works at Google, said branded content increasingly needs to come from creators whom viewers already trust and enjoy watching.
“Today’s viewers don’t just want content; they want it to come from creators they can trust and genuinely enjoy spending time with,” Babcock said.
The arrangement gives Lexus access to the duo’s production experience and understanding of YouTube. It also allows the campaign to reach audiences beyond the creators’ existing subscriber base through paid distribution.
Colin & Samir said the work was produced for a wider audience than the one that regularly watches their channel. Their role therefore included developing material for the brand’s viewers as well as their established community.
Personal Loss Shaped the Series Concept
The idea behind Colin & Samir Start Over developed during a period of personal and creative disruption for Rosenblum and Chaudry.
The creators had spent several years producing much of their work from a studio. They said the routine had contributed to a creative slowdown before both lost their homes during the Los Angeles wildfires in 2025.
The experience led them to leave their normal production environment and seek new activities in different parts of the country.
“After the fires, we felt a strong pull to leave our routines and reconnect with the world around us,” Chaudry said. “What started as a process of rebuilding our lives became a process of rebuilding our creativity.”
The travel-based format grew from that context. Instead of presenting the series as an unrelated collection of sponsored activities, the episodes follow the creators as they reconsider their routines and pursue unfamiliar projects.
Long-Form Branded Content Attracts More Investment
The series arrives as advertisers continue increasing their use of creators across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and other digital platforms.
Industry projections indicate that U.S. spending on creator-led advertising and sponsored content could reach $43.9 billion in 2026. YouTube remains particularly relevant for campaigns that require longer explanations, recurring episodes, or narrative-driven brand integrations.
The expansion of creator advertising spending has also increased competition and placed more pressure on brands to select partnerships based on audience alignment and measurable performance.
The Colin & Samir project differs from short campaign arrangements built around one video or social media post. Its four-part structure allows the creators and Lexus to develop a broader concept over several releases.
It also shows how creators can participate as producers and creative consultants while still appearing as the on-camera talent.
The Publish Company Supports a Wider Creator Business
Rosenblum and Chaudry operate The Publish Company, a media business serving creators, media professionals, and executives interested in the creator economy.
The company’s properties include The Colin and Samir Show, a YouTube channel with approximately 1.6 million subscribers, a podcast, a newsletter reaching more than 160,000 readers, a Discord community, live events, and the Creator Startup education platform.
The duo have also previously worked with companies including Spotify, Shopify, Google, Adobe, and Samsung.
Those activities place the Lexus production within a broader media operation rather than treating it as an isolated influencer campaign. The creators develop editorial content, educational products, events, and commercial partnerships through the same business.
The Lexus project extends that model into a campaign in which Colin & Samir contribute to both the public-facing content and the creative strategy behind it.
Additional Episodes Will Continue Through 2026
The first installment of Colin & Samir Start Over launched on July 14.
Lexus and the creators have not announced exact release dates for every remaining installment. They have confirmed that the full series will continue rolling out on YouTube during 2026.
Each release is expected to maintain the same travel and creative-project format while focusing on a different activity.
The Colin & Samir Lexus YouTube series provides a current example of a brand using creators as production partners rather than only as distribution channels. Its longer format will also provide a test of how creator-led storytelling performs when used across both sponsored channel content and paid media.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Colin & Samir Lexus YouTube Series?
The Colin & Samir Lexus YouTube series is a four-part branded production titled Colin & Samir Start Over. It follows Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry as they travel across the United States and complete four creative projects.
When Did the First Episode Launch?
The first installment launched on July 14, 2026. Additional episodes and campaign materials are expected to appear on YouTube throughout the remainder of the year.
What Projects Are Featured in the Series?
The announced projects involve making music, off-roading, shaping surfboards, and learning to make chai. Each project provides the central activity for one part of the production.
Which Companies Participated in the Collaboration?
The project involves Colin & Samir, Lexus, and Google Creative Works. Google helped connect the creators, the automotive brand, and YouTube during the campaign’s development.
Which Lexus Vehicles Appear in the Series?
The Lexus GX 550 and Lexus RZ 550e appear during the creators’ cross-country journey. The videos use the vehicles as part of the travel format rather than focusing only on vehicle demonstrations.
