Top 20 Viral Global Video Ads Of 2010: Wayne Rooney Wins By A Whisker
David Waterhouse
Laughter is not only the best medicine, but it also seems it's the best way to make your ad a viral hit.
Looking at the content of the top 20 most successful global viral ads of 2010, released exclusively at the launch party of the IAB's/ Unruly Media's UK Chart yesterday (Tuesday), only five do not use humour.
OK, to come clean, some of the ads are funnier than others. The Pepsi Max and Nike ads are hardly likely to make you split your sides any time soon, but humour does play a part in the core message.
Certainly, the two companies involved are laughing all the way to the bank after racking up millions of shares on Twitter, Facebook and among bloggers.
Nike's Write The Future campaign bags top spot with almost 600,000 shares since it was launched in May ahead of the World Cup (and before England's and Wayne Rooney's own comedic performance in Africa).
It is not hard to see why it did so well. Not only was it released just when World Cup fever was starting to hit the web, but it used humour as part of its core message. What? You don't think seeing Wayne Rooney in a beard was funny?
It also ticked several other boxes that dominate this year's chart: sport and celebrity. Indeed, sport features in five of the top 20, while celebrities, however big, are in eight.
In fact, the only way it could have done even better would have been to add some animals, which feature in six of the top 20. Although, Wayne Rooney's beard may count.
We also thought it would be remiss of us to miss out the video for Nolan's Cheddar, which would have been 16th in the list if it had not been a fake ad.
20. Blendtec: Will It Blend? iPad
Agency: Blendtec Blender Company
Shares: 93,657
Views: 9,434,915
Launch Territory: US
Agency: Young & Rubicam
Shares: 104,171
Views: 3,051,369
Launch Territory: Thailand
Agency: JWT
Shares: 111,353
Views: 933,609
Launch Territory: India
Agency: Martin Agency
Shares: 112,848
Views: 2,722,573
Launch Territory: US
16. Hi-Tec: Liquid Engineering
Shares: 143,317
Views: 8,687,885
Launch Territory: Global
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
Shares: 152,742
Views: 16,901,801
Launch Territory: Global
14. Sussex Safer Roads Partnership: Embrace Life
Agency: Alexander Commercials
Shares: 171,649
Views: 23,979,582
Launch territory: UK
Agency: David & Goliath
Shares: 176,041
Views: 6,190,255
Launch Territory: US
12. Gillette: Roger Federer trickshot
Agency: Hill and Knowlton
Shares: 178,688
Views: 7,784,152
Launch Territory: UK
Agency: CLM BBDO
Shares: 221,853
Views: 7,954,898
Launch Territory: Global
10. Sesame Street: Smell Like A Monster
Agency: The Sesame Street Workshop
Shares: 244,353
Views: 6,701,606
Launch Territory: Global
Agency: TBWA
Shares: 248,995
Views: 8,749,655
Launch Territory: France
Agency: Joelle De Jesus
Shares: 250,404
Views: 14,608,185
Launch Territory: US
7. GEICO: Piggy
Agency: Martin Agency
Shares: 284,450
Views: 5,987,929
Launch Territory: US
6. Old Spice: The Man Your Man Could Smell Like
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
Shares: 376,227
Views: 27,126,048 (Highest scoring YouTube views)
Launch Territory: US
Agency: BBH
Shares: 379,454
Views: 12,525,365
Launch Territory: UK
4. Tippex: NSFW A Hunter Shoots A Bear
Agency: Buzzman
Shares: 419,338
Views: 12,813,988
Launch Territory: UK
3. Toyota Sienna: Swagger Wagon
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi
Shares: 429,223
Views: 10,573,513
Launch Territory: US
2. DC Shoes: Ken Block’s Gymkhana 3, Part 2
Agency: Mad Media
Shares: 473,597
Views: 17,739,609
Launch Territory: Global
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
Shares: 596,032
Views: 24,754,3578
Launch Territory: Global
Special mention:
Agency: John Nolan Films
Shares: 133,948
Views: 3,755,469
Launch Territory: UK
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