Thumbnail Close Reading – Hope Mitchell

The YouTube thumbnail I will close read is from the BBC Three video “Things Not To Say To Twins.” As I scrolled through YouTube, the bright colors immediately made this thumbnail stand out. After being drawn in, I noticed the words, which read the title “Things Not To Say To Twins” in various colors like green, blue, and pink. The mix of the bright colors, alternating size of the font to emphasize certain words like “not” and “twins,” and the full capital letters made this title stand out to me. Also, the thumbnail is cohesive and promising of an interesting, funny, and thoughtful video, as it features a set of twins who are – as the title explains – excitedly talking about things that people should not say to twins. Therefore, this video stands out to an inclusive audience, given that it targets both twins and people who are not twins. A twin (like me) might see this video and click because they identify with the thumbnail about twins, thinking I would like to see if I agree with whether I like to be asked these things. Someone who is not a twin might see this thumbnail and view it as unique because it shows twins, and then the title will prompt them to wonder have I said any of these things, and I better watch this so I am sure not to ask twins this in the future. Other than that, I also noticed that the BBC Three logo might draw some viewers in, if they are familiar with it or are subscribers of the channel. Overall, this thumbnail attempts to catch the viewer’s attention and get them to identify personally with it, relate to it, and be curious about it.