Creator duo Colin & Samir have partnered with Lexus to produce “Colin & Samir Start Over,” a four-part video series distributed as paid media across YouTube. The first episode launched on July 14.

The series is powered by the Lexus GX 550 and Lexus RZ 550e and follows Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry as they travel across the U.S. pursuing four creative projects: making music, off-roading, shaping surfboards, and learning to make chai. Google supported the partnership as the connective link between the creators, the brand, and the platform.

“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.”

The project grew out of a personal reset for the pair. Rosenblum and Chaudry, who have spent 15 years building a YouTube career and host “The Colin and Samir Show,” had found themselves in a creative rut after years of studio work. That feeling sharpened in 2025, when the Los Angeles wildfires destroyed their homes. The loss pushed them to step outside their routines and look for new experiences to reignite their creative work.

“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.”

Lexus framed the partnership as part of a broader approach to working with creators who bring their own point of view rather than executing a standard brief. “Our partnership with Colin and Samir reflects a shared commitment to reinvention, thoughtful storytelling, and creativity with purpose,” said Lisa McQueen, Senior Manager of Lexus Marketing.

Kevin Babcock, Head of Creative Partnerships for U.S. Creative Works at Google, said the collaboration reflects a shift in what audiences expect from branded content. “Today’s viewers don’t just want content; they want it to come from creators they can trust and genuinely enjoy spending time with,” he said.

Colin & Samir operate The Publish Company, a media business spanning their 1.6 million-subscriber YouTube channel, a podcast, a newsletter reaching more than 160,000 creators and executives, a Discord community, live events, and the Creator Startup education platform. They have previously partnered with brands including Spotify, Shopify, Google, Adobe, and Samsung.

“Colin & Samir Start Over” will roll out on YouTube throughout 2026.

Cover photo credit: Jesse Leon

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