2013 was a year for big ideas and intriguing new concepts. While it’s being called the Year of the Prank by many in the advertising industry, none of those made my list, especially the Toys R Us spot that sends terrible messages to kids such as material objects are better than nature and education. What was incredible this year, was how the majority of most shared and top rated ads ran longer than just the traditional thirty seconds. The top spot even goes on for three minutes – basically an eternity is cyberspace. So without further adieu, here they are.
#5 – PooPourri.com “Girls Don’t Poop”
Warning: this ad contains a potty-mouthed British woman speaking content that may be offensive to some people. PooPourri.com came out of nowhere with this hilarious ad created specifically for YouTube. The charming appearance and accent of the Brit is a complete 180 from the ridiculous words that come out of her mouth, giving it an initial surprise factor that never seems to fade. The viewer becomes transfixed in the video, which is entertaining from start to finish without ever a dull moment. The video ranked #5 on Adweek’s “10 Most Watched Ads on YouTube” this year with over 20 million views. Even though PooPourri.com receives money for some views, I’m guessing many of them were organic. I know I shared it with every one of my groups as soon as it came out. The production value is sharp with clean edits, crisp audio, and incredible locations like the toilet in the cow pen scene. Even if it it’s a green screen, it’s next to impossible to tell. This ad never ceases to amaze me.
#4 – Robinsons “Pals”
This sweet ad is by a British soft drink brand owned by Britvic, thus the reason why it flew under the radar here in the US. It carries a raw grittiness (similar to that of the film, Like Crazy) created by seamless cuts, an indie soundtrack, the interactions of the actors, and real-world scenarios. It’s pulls my emotional heartstrings even though I’m a long way off from having a little squirt.
#3 – Tanishq “A Wedding to Remember”
This wedding made spot number three for several reasons. On the surface, the spot is a sweet, romantic, and emotional story about a woman getting ready for a wedding with her daughter who is later pulled to share the spotlight by her new dad. The tagline, “A Wedding to Remember.” Cute right? A little background knowledge provides the rest of the astonishing story. In India, second marriages are not only frowned upon, widowed and divorced women are treated like outcasts. Beyond that, agency Lowe Lintas chose a model with skin tone that is “duskier” than the status quo of advertising models. So this idea of love, respect, and equality is revolutionary and bold.
#2 – Volvo “The Epic Split”
Volvo got intense for their “Epic Split” ad featuring a nimble Jean-Claude Van Damme performing a split between two moving Volvo FM trucks to test for stability and precision. I’ll say. The phenomenal physical feat by Van Damme accompanied by Enya racked up 74.7 million views in less than a month without any gigantic national buys. It just goes to show the power of social media.
#1 – Dove “Real Beauty Sketches”
Total views: 133.5 million. “Real Beauty Sketches” is part of Dove’s umbrella, “Campaign for Real Beauty” that started in 2004. The spot is beautifully shot, edited, and voiced with the help of some outstanding actors. It topped 100 million views in just a month without any Superbowl buys, or prime-time media plans. The overall message, all women are beautiful and can be too critical of themselves, was well received despite a few critics that felt the ad patronized and helped to affirm old understandings of beauty. Regardless of your own belief, the debate only provided longevity to the video as the media coverage lasted for quite some time on major networks and talk shows. Here’s to the new year and a great new year of ads.
Honorable Mention: this great ad from New Zealand. And yes, I would like a ghost chip.