YouTube’s OG Video Gets a Glow-Up: MrBeast-Style Thumbnail Update by Co-Founder!

In a blast from YouTube’s past, the platform’s very first video, “me at the zoo,” has received a millennial makeover with a thumbnail update. Jawed Karim, the co-founder who kicked off the YouTube revolution back in 2005, spiced things up earlier this year by adding a thumbnail that wouldn’t look out of place in a MrBeast video.

The original 17-second clip, shot at the San Diego Zoo, now has a thumbnail featuring Karim with glowing eyes and a crew of elephants on his side. It’s a nod to the contemporary trend set by MrBeast, known for his eye-catching and humor-infused thumbnails.

Karim, who occasionally tweaks his historic video, made this particular update on December 16, only to revert it about two weeks later. Despite having just one video on his channel, Karim’s online presence has been on the rise, catching the attention of viewers on platforms like Reddit.

This thumbnail switch isn’t Karim’s first YouTube update; he previously segmented the original clip into timestamped sections and even voiced his opinions on current YouTube events in the comment section. When YouTube decided to hide public dislike counts, Karim didn’t shy away from expressing his disagreement in the “me at the zoo” video description.

While Karim’s co-founders, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, are also making waves with new ventures, Karim has toyed with the idea of expanding his YouTube footprint. If he decides to dive back into content creation, his thumbnail game is already on point, proving that even the OGs of YouTube can keep up with the times.