The video was later uploaded onto YouTube by Geoff Swanson, where it gained large viewership and continued to increase in popularity.
A merchandising line was later produced, as well as four sequels and a parody series titled Charlie teh Unicron.
The trio begin their journey in a forest, where the blue and pink unicorns lead Charlie to a Magical Liopleurodon, who supposedly tells them the way with unintelligible gurgles.
Independent animator Jason Steele, a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, conceived Charlie the Unicorn in 2005 as a gift for his mother's birthday, as she enjoyed unicorn-related conversation.
When he moved to Orlando, Steele claims he "was completely out of money, but still wanted to get [his mother] something" for her upcoming birthday.
Created by animator Jason Steele, the pilot episode gained 46 million views, sparking a series of follow-up adventures."
Annoying, brightly colored colleagues poke at us with their curly horns as we snooze at our desk, promising far-off, sugar-coated delights.
Do we muster the energy to follow them, hoping some sweet payoff will break the unbearable bleakness of our daily existence?
"[18] The series has also attracted a number of celebrities, including British television personality Alex Zane,[1] and American entertainers Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn.
[19] Brian Hamlin of The Hollywood Reporter considered the video to be "incredibly dumb and annoying" yet "really funny and weird too full of unicorn joyness and music.
In a YouTube comment under the third installment, which premiered on September 7, 2021, Steele stated that The Grand Finale would have five parts.
[27] Multiple livestreams featuring Charlie communicating with viewers were conducted on the FilmCow YouTube channel, as part of a promotion for the series' Grand Finale Kickstarter in 2016.
[28] Merchandising lines produced by a partnership consisting of FilmCow and retailer CafePress as well as Hot Topic have been launched in response to the video's popularity.
The merchandise features various quotes from the video's characters, and is sold in several forms including t-shirts, pins, coffee mugs, and bandannas.
"[31] The cast of Charlie the Unicorn also appeared on May 23, 2008, in the music video for Weezer's single "Pork and Beans".
Joe public service announcements starring animated versions of the band as children, where the character Gung-Ho of the G.I.