Jack and Jack: The Quick Bio

Jack and Jack, who are they?

The first question you’re probably asking is why are you talking about this on a site about running.  The reason is because the Whistler Spirit Run was not just a run – it was meant to raise money for important causes, which it did a phenomenal job of.  Jack and Jack are giving back despite only being famous for a short time.  This post is dedicated to them…

Jack and Jack

Jack and Jack is actually Jack Gilinsky and Jack Johnson, two Nebraska teens who seemingly came out of nowhere and are now living in LA, California, the most expensive area in the country, and touring the country singing their music.  How did they get here you ask?  Vine.  If you’re not familiar it’s a social media app that allows users to post 6 second videos that play on a loop.  Vine was acquired by Twitter in 2012, and ever since, it’s picked up massive momentum, similar to that of Facebook when it first started.

Jack & Jack found success in 2013-2014 using Vine by consistently posting their content and gaining a gigantic follower base.  That  consistency paid off, allowing the American team of two to do a complete life 180 and start a legit music career.

Why did so many people follow them?

People follow the Jack & Jack team for the same reason they follow anyone popular in social media – they’re captivating.  Fame on YouTube requires you to not care about what anyone in the world thinks.  You need to completely let go, be yourself, which is hard for many people during normal life.  Try doing the same in front of millions of strangers.  Social media may make it easier, since you’re only staring at a computer screen, but let’s not downplay it because it’s a unique ability that the masses don’t possess.

The start of momentum was 2013.  Jack & Jack loaded funny 6 second videos into Vine in mid 2013.  One of the videos – I Never Miss – went viral, accumulating 25k followers in a very short period.  Loading vine after vine, the Jack and Jack duo send out 6 seconds of singing or comedy.  After high school graduation in mid 2014, Jack and Jack moved to Los Angeles, California to launch a music career with the help of DigiTour Media.  The tour stretched across 18 cities and was made up of singing, comedy, interaction with fans; it sold out.

Jack and Jack continued to pick up momentum through 2014, adding a list of sponsors, tag teams, and guest spots to their resumes, such as Verizon, ABC, JanoFest, Tyga, Kid Ink, and more.  Popularity continued to increase as Jack and Jack monetized their lives through social media.  8 months later, in early 2015, the shared account of these two teens had amassed more than 5M followers, ranking them among the top 20 most popular people on Vine.

Where Are They Now?

Here are the current stats on social media:

Latest YouTube video: 7,241,628 views on Jack and Jack – California (Official Music Video)

Twitter following: 1.5 million at a career total of 1,813 tweets

Facebook likes: 937,811

Vine: 1,884,615,211 loops  (almost 2 billion? wow.)

iTunes: Released 11 singles, totaling 1.3 million songs sold without a label’s help.

Current status:  On Tour. Loving Life.

 

Jack and Jack Giving Back

  • Skin cancer awareness promotion
  • Anti-bullying promotion (targeted at social media like Vine and Facebook)
  • Safe driving promotion, in partnership with Michelin tire company
  • Charitable causes, such as Mile for Music and Ronald McDonald

That’s a lot of returned love in a couple years from the teens.

Peace Out,

Whistler Team