Draft:Iker Unzu

Iker Unzu was born in Zaragoza, Spain, and moved to Brazil at the age of six, then to Mexico four years later, where he lived for another four years. In 2018, he returned to Zaragoza, where he finished his High School years. His parents are Asier and Marta, and his sisters' names are Marina and Inés. Unzu's native language is Spanish, and he is also fluent in English, German, and Portuguese. He began his social media career on Musical.ly, now known as TikTok, in 2016 and has since been active on various platforms.^[8] He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.^[9]

Unzu posted his first video on TikTok on January 1, 2020, a sketch titled 'New Year's Countdown'.^[10] He then began uploading content daily, including vlogs about his daily life. He created his YouTube account in 2015 but only started actively posting videos in 2020. On Instagram, Unzu primarily posts comedy videos. He has collaborated with major entertainment companies such as Universal, Blumhouse, and Warner Bros., to create content for his platforms. Notable projects include a video for Universal's movie M3GAN^[11], a promotion for Blumhouse's Five Nights at Freddy's^[12], and content for Warner Bros' movie Dune Part Two^[13]. He has expressed that he uses TikTok as a way to showcase his creativity through comedy videos and daily vlogs.^[14]

Unzu has over 13 million followers on TikTok, 11,000,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, and more than 2,600,000 followers on Instagram. He is recognized as a prominent social media figure in Spanish-speaking countries, including Spain, Mexico, and Argentina. He is currently the 18th most followed creator on TikTok in Spain, according to a recent report.^[15]

On October 22, 2022, Iker was invited as a special guest to a charity fashion show in Zaragoza, held at the Aura events room. At the event, he discussed his experiences and developments in social media as well as his role as an influencer.^[16][17][18]

Unzu is represented by YouPlanet, a notable agency within the Spanish entertainment industry that also represents other prominent creators such as Auronplay and Wismichu. This affiliation aligns him with some of the most influential social media figures in Spain. ^[19][20]

Unzu was the first internet celebrity to create an Instagram-exclusive series titled "Close Friends Forever" in collaboration with Meta, which premiered its first episode on April 15, 2024.^[21] This initiative marks him as a pioneer in Spain for creating original content in collaboration with Instagram on the platform.^[22] In the series, Unzu serves as both the protagonist and a behind-the-scenes creator, showcasing his dual roles in content production and audience engagement. The narrative focuses on friendship and utilizes Instagram's interactive features such as close friends lists, video calls, and direct messaging to engage viewers. The series not only explores the modes of communication among adolescents but also enriches these interactions with humor and celebration of friendship, as reflected in the series' plot revolving around four friends.^[23]

Lola Baños, the Director of Communications for Meta Spain, highlighted the series' intent to mirror adolescent social dynamics in a relatable and humorous manner, thereby fostering a deeper connection with the audience.^[24] The series has attracted significant viewership, with millions tuning in to watch.^[25]

Iker Unzu's book, titled "Escapando de la mansión embrujada," was published on May 22, 2024.^[26] This interactive mystery novel centers on a protagonist, similar to Unzu, who is accepted into a university in Los Angeles.^[27] The plot quickly escalates as he and his family find themselves trapped in a haunted mansion, where they must solve puzzles and uncover hidden clues to escape. The story incorporates elements of adventure, humor, and suspense, featuring characters such as a restless grandmother, bickering siblings, and a cleanliness-obsessed mother, with an emphasis on teamwork and sharp observation. In its first month of release, "Escapando de la mansión embrujada" became the best-selling book on Amazon and FNAC in Spain, including pre-sale figures.^[28] Nine editions of the book were published within the first two weeks due to high demand. Iker Unzu conducted book signings in Madrid, Barcelona, and his hometown, Zaragoza, attracting a total of more than 3,000 attendees.^{[29][30][31][32][33]}

In 2024, Iker Unzu complied with Spain's "Ley de Influencers," which mandates registration for content creators who have over one million followers and earn above 300,000 euros annually.^[34] Unzu is among only 36 influencers in Spain^[35][36], including figures such as Ibai Llanos and Dulceida, who meet these criteria, indicating their significant reach and financial success in the digital sphere.^[37]

During the summer of 2020, Unzu began posting six videos a day on TikTok. By August 1, 2020, he had reached 1 million followers, with consistent growth that saw his following increase to 3 million by December 2020, 4 million by January 2021, 5 million by March 2021, and over 13 million followers currently. His content primarily includes relatable situations for teenagers, comedic story-times, and skits featuring made-up characters, which he often portrays wearing wigs.^[8]

Unzu's videos often explore everyday scenarios and interactions with parents, resonating with a teenage audience. His rapid follower growth during this period illustrates his impact on the platform.^[8]

Unzu posted his first YouTube video titled "The Whispering Challenge with My Sister" on October 28, 2018. He began vlogging in 2020 and reached 100,000 subscribers within that year. His popularity on TikTok contributed to an increase in his YouTube channel's viewership, with some videos reaching up to 100 million views.^[8] As of now, Unzu has 11,000,000 subscribers and 4.5 billion total views on YouTube, ranking him as the 33rd most subscribed channel in Spain.^[6][38]

Unzu launched a second YouTube channel on December 25, 2021, which reached 100,000 subscribers within the same month, earning him the Silver Play Button. His channel, Iker Unzu Shorts, currently boasts over 900,000 subscribers.^[39]

In 2020, Unzu launched his podcast, Iker Unzu^[40] (originally titled Pasando el rato con Iker Unzu). The podcast is a weekly series hosted on Spotify Podcasters and features discussions on a variety of topics, including relationships, mental health, humorous anecdotes, and personal instincts. It is available on multiple platforms, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.^[41]