Decryption | Kaizen, or the values ​​(and contradictions) of Inoxtag

YouTuber Inoxtag climbed Everest and made a documentary about it, Kaizenwhich became a YouTube hit. A brilliant marketing stunt (both for these “all-inclusive” expeditions and for the character’s social networks), the film also highlights mass tourism to Everest and the omnipresence of the telephone in our lives. Seven points to understand the phenomenon.

20 million

Kaizen has been viewed more than 20 million times since it was uploaded to YouTube on Saturday. Kaizenis a 2h30 film that documents the challenge that the French YouTuber Inoxtag, real name Inès Bennazouz, set himself in February 2023: to climb Everest one year later. The narrative of the film is classic: the awareness of his deleterious lifestyle, the progression strewn with pitfalls, then the deliverance (and the great life lessons) at the end of the climb.

The moral of the story? Let’s stop being passive in front of our phones (“a prison, a drug”) and start taking action. “Kaizen”, by the way, is a Japanese philosophy that means continuous improvement, little by little.

Of Minecraft to Everest

Inoxtag is 22 years old, and he was 13 when he launched his account on YouTube, in 2015. At the beginning, the teenager – already charismatic and voluble – made videos about video games Minecraft. Its content has diversified over the years, and Inoxtag has become a typical influencer of its generation, with videos ofunboxinglifestyle, travel, fashion and challenges.

It is in this vein that the Everest climber is part of, announced with great fanfare on YouTube to his eight million subscribers. The expedition – surrounded by an aura of mystery – took place in the spring of 2024.

Authenticity and Marketing

The launch of Kaizen is one of the best in the history of YouTube in France. Screened in theaters last weekend, the film attracted some 340,000 fans in the French-speaking world. In Quebec, the film was shown in 15 theaters, often to sold-out audiences. Where does this craze come from? The Inoxtag community has been following it for several years, says Jay Grandmont, an influencer marketing consultant and college teacher.

“There’s the charisma, the authenticity, and then there’s the marketing,” he says. By announcing his project in advance and then disappearing from social media in the months following the ascension, Inoxtag has succeeded in its stunt. “Content creators have this ability to attract attention in an attention economy,” Grandmont says.

A fashionable summit

Inoxtag’s approach is not unusual: it is part of the phenomenon of the commercialization of Everest, which is not new, but which is accelerating, underlines professional guide François-Xavier Bleau, in charge of designing trips at Karavaniers. Particularly since 2019, the year in which Nepalese Nirmal Purja smashed the world record by reaching the 14 highest peaks of the Himalayas in six months. Netflix made a documentary about it.

The Sherpas and the Nepalese now control their tourist territory – and that’s a good thing. “They’re the ones who control the show, and what they’re capable of doing is incredible,” says Bleau. “However, they don’t yet set any real limits, because it’s a megabusiness and because Nepal is a very poor country.” This traffic has both an ecological and human cost. On the day of the climb, Inoxtag heard the screams of two tourists who fell to their deaths from a cornice crowded with amateur climbers.

All inclusive

“There is a fundamental question behind all this: what has Everest become?” asks François-Xavier Bleau. Mountaineering is a progressive, united quest, he says. Today, the highest Himalayan peaks are part of the general public’s universe. “You don’t need to have all the depth of knowledge, because everything is organized, structured,” emphasizes Mr. Bleau, who thinks of the meals served, the generators, the helicopters…

Media-hyped “challenges” like Inoxtag’s risk exacerbating this mass tourism even more, fears the professional guide, who also questions the YouTuber’s motivations. His message is very relevant, he delivers it well, but is it also a matter of ego?

Values

Inoxtag does, however, show sensitivity in the film, particularly when he meets a local worker who is preparing to return to the summit of Everest to earn a living, even though his previous expeditions have cost him fingers. At the top of the mountain, Inoxtag also allows himself a courageous plea against the technology that sustains his livelihood. “We have to stop being behind screens, and scrolling, and live through others,” he says, in tears. “Go outside, if you have a project, do it.”

Influencers have a real influence on the young people who follow them, Jay Grandmont emphasizes. “Inoxtag advocates courage, perseverance, work… and these are great values ​​to have when you’re young.”

Influence in the broad sense

Inoxtag is one of the favorite French influencers among Quebec teenagers, like Mastu and ByIlhan. Young people follow them, like them, and even tend to appropriate their French accent and expressions. Jay Grandmont advises parents to be open to what their children listen to and to be interested in it.

“It’s important to make young people understand that influence is broad, but having a good influence is valuable,” he says. “Social media is a voice, but good actions start from within.” Last piece of advice: “In Quebec, we also have lots of good creators, and it would be fun to showcase them!”

Check out Inoxtag’s YouTube channel