Colin and Samir Created Lexus's Own Ad Campaign Themselves
The new creator-partnership model coming out of Cannes.
On July 14, 2026, Colin and Samir announced a partnership with Lexus called Colin & Samir Start Over, four ad campaigns they conceived themselves and pitched directly to the brand.
The campaigns are already running as paid media across YouTube, alongside four sponsored videos on their own channel.
Colin and Samir call it the first deal of its kind for them.
Two years ago, Samir auditioned to act in a Lexus commercial and hated it. “I was miserable at it. I didn’t know anything about it,” he said on their own show. Their YouTube Partner Manager, Andrew Leonard, heard the story and flagged it to Lexus.
Lexus was already looking for creators to partner with. Colin and Samir built the campaign with Google Creative Works, and brought on Portal A to produce it.
Out of Cannes this year, brand-creator deals got sorted into four modes, distribution, consulting, talent, and directing. The Lexus deal ran all four at once.
The ad industry has spent decades routing every idea through the same people. An agency writes the brief, tests it themselves, then hires a creator to deliver it.
Alix Earle pitched Frame a jeans collaboration herself after a viral TikTok moment, turning an online debate into an actual product. Google brought in creator Brandon B to help direct an experimental film that played at Cannes.
An agency sells a brand its best guess. Colin and Samir sold Lexus what they already knew would work.
