YouTube’s top 10 ads: The Cannes edition
This month’s YouTube top 10 ads is Cannes-themed. Always’ empowering #LikeAGirl and Pokémon’s Super Bowl-related spot seem to have hit the mark with viewers.
YouTube have unveiled a special Cannes edition of its global leadership board, showcasing the most popular ads that ran between last year’s Cannes Lions and this year, racking up a total of 403 million views. The ranking is determined using factors like watch time, views, and a mix of paid and organic views.
Empowering ads seem to have hit home with viewers, with Always and Adidas leading the charge. While Always’ second leg of its #LikeAGirl campaign encourages girls to break boundaries, Adidas seeks to motivate viewers to take action in their own lives and “create your own game”.
Super Bowl spots also made an impact, with Hyundai, Mountain Dew and Pokémon teaming up with YouTube to stir excitement before, during and after the big game.
Half of the leaderboard winners were repeat winners from 2015, with continued success from Hyundai, Always, Samsung, Clash of Clans and Adidas. Meanwhile, new faces include Skittles, Duracell, vivo, and Pokémon.
1. Clash of Clans: Ride of the hog riders
Perhaps surprisingly, this year’s Cannes list is topped by Clash of the Clan. Forget about traditional players – this ad has racked up an impressive 92 million views, proving there is a big appetite for mobile games ads.
Agency: Barton F. Graf
2. Skittles TV commercial: Bleachers
This Skittles ad might not be the easiest watch for those with squeamish tendencies. The ad sees two geeky-looking teens have a seemingly secret meet-up, one of which has ‘Skittlespox’. We won’t go into any detail as to how the other one contracts the same unfortunate disease.
Agency: DDB Chicago
3. Adidas: Create your own game
Adidas brought out the big guns in last summer’s campaign, with footballers Lionel Messi, Gareth Bale, James Rodríguez, Mesut Özil, Thomas Müller and Diego Rubio all making an appearance. But don’t bother getting star struck – according to Adidas, your heroes are now your competition and you should go out and “create your own game”.
Agency: 72andSunny
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIqC9IYMUOU
4. Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge: Official introduction
In February this year, Samsung introduced its latest range of Galaxy smartphones. The three-minute video, which explored the phones’ slick features, racked up an impressive 43 million views.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyohHyQl-kc
5. Always #LikeAGirl: Unstoppable
In Always’ second leg of its #LikeAGirl campaign, the brand asks whether young girls are limited by society and are boxed into expected roles. Its #LikeAGirl social experiment was started to change the meaning of “like a girl” from an insult to a compliment. It resonated with many around the world, racking up 38 million views.
Agency: Leo Burnett
6. Duracell Star Wars Commercial: Battle for Christmas Morning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBh0hgP8wWk
Agency: Anomaly
7. Vivo smartphone – Minions
8. Mtn Dew Kickstart: Puppymonkeybaby (Super Bowl spot)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql7uY36-LwA
Agency: BBDO
9. The Chase – Hyundai Super Bowl commercial
Agency: INNOCEAN USA
10. #Pokemon20: Pokémon Super Bowl commercial
Agency: Omelet
