Why the hottest brands are starting to look like reality TV

FastCompany: If video killed the radio star , has social media killed the reality TV star? Around two decades on from reality TV’s peak—think The Bachelor, American Idol , Big Brother —you no longer have to endure a grueling casting process or hope the editors treat you kindly to get a taste of fame. Instead, creators can now build independent audiences and monetize their content directly on TikTok and Instagram. The impact on the industry has been widespread, with a once era-defining genre now competing against anyone with a camera.

But while unscripted series premieres have plummeted by a third since 2022, and several hit shows like Queer Eye and Jersey Shore Family Vacation have disappeared in 2026 alone, reality TV’s influence remains more relevant than ever. In fact, we’re beginning to see brands themselves act less like advertisers—and more like fly-on-the-wall phenomena. The rise of the watchable brand One example is Sour Strips, a candy brand founded in 2019 by the fitness personality and YouTuber Maxx Chewning . In five short years, Sour Strips hit $24 million in annual revenue before selling to Hershey, the confectionery giant .

The secret is presenting the brand’s rise like a bingeworthy reality show. Maxx’s audience watched him brainstorm, struggle, and scale the business in real time. He filmed himself meeting food scientists, opening the first manufacturing test bags, and physically packing boxes. He broadcast hurdles like risky formula changes, and even used his Instagram and YouTube community for real-time R&D—adjusting packaging and flavors based on immediate feedback. This “build in public” strategy was a major engine behind Sour Strips’ explosion.

Whether or not people are particularly passionate about sour candy, they follow because they’re invested in the story. Will the next retailer agree to stock the products? Will a product launch sell out? What challenge will the founder face next? How brands’ stories can outperform superiority For decades, brand building was largely organized around product: “We taste better,” “we look better,” “we last longer.” Product quality still matters, of course. But for a growing number of brands, the product is no longer always the main character.

In many cases, what a business sells becomes an artifact of the story; it’s the outcome of a journey audiences already feel invested in. Sour Strips demonstrates that if brands are positioned in the right way, consumers will follow them the way they follow creators, influencers, and reality TV casts. They are drawn to the characters, setbacks, pivots, wins, and uncertainty along the way. They are not only buying what a company sells, but watching what a company becomes. Graza is another example of a company demonstrating how this approach can work even in categories that wouldn’t traditionally inspire fandom.

Rather than simply marketing olive oil, the brand invited consumers behind the scenes as it grew, sharing retail milestones, product decisions, and the realities of scaling the business. The bottle may have sparked initial interest, but the journey gave people a reason to keep following. Its recent expansion into adjacent categories, including potato chips, suggests that consumers aren’t simply loyal to a product; they’re invested in where the brand goes next. This approach changes the way people relate to brands.

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The article discusses a significant trend in branding that aligns with modern consumer expectations, making it impactful and relevant, while the narrative-driven approach, though not entirely new, offers a fresh perspective on brand engagement.