Three Things I Love About Jerry Seinfeld’s New Website

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld recently launched a new website that brings together highlights of his 35-year stand-up career.  I love the site, and I’m not really even a fan of his stand-up.  Here is a breakdown of what I love about it.

1. The Approach

The site posts three videos a day, chosen by Seinfeld himself.  And that is pretty much it.  Videos aren’t archived, so if you don’t see the three videos the day they are released you are out of luck.  

In a time when we can all pretty much access anything, anywhere at anytime, Seinfeld has chosen a curated approach that actually seems novel. 

By limiting the length of time videos are available, the site also creates a compelling reason for people to visit every day.  www.jerryseinfeld.com will immediately become a daily visit for fans.  In a recent interview, Seinfeld called his approach “portion control.”

2. The Design

Like the overall approach, the design here is exceptional in its simplicity.  Black and white, with the only color on the page being links to the three videos you can view that day.  A single photo with names of routines overlaid.  A signature for a logo.  That’s it.  It is perfect.

Here is what Seinfeld had to say about his inspiration for the site, and hatred of clutter:

“I hate people begging me for my attention and trying to sell me and entertain me and delight me and surprise me, that’s what makes the internet so annoying. I did my best to uninternet it. You know my literal metaphor was one of those little galleries in Chelsea, there’s just five paintings in there, that’s the kind of place I like to go to.”

3.  The Lack of Monetization

Online publishers are becoming increasingly desperate to monetize.  Online ad units seem to become more obtrusive by the day.  Content is taking a back seat to Sear Engine Optimization. 

Into this environment Seinfeld has launched a website with no monetization strategy whatsoever.  No pay wall.  No SEO.  No ads.  No t-shirts.  Just content.  While Seinfeld clearly doesn’t need the money, I think it is awesome  to launch a site with the sole purpose of sharing his content with the world.