Ads Leaderboard

On YouTube, humor and relatable imperfection can show that a brand gets their audience, and that’s reflected in how products and services are advertised. YouTube talent has been tapped into this for some time, and increasingly, mainstream talent and brands are showing up in digital creative with less of a veneer and more authentic approachability. Amazon’s Mind Reader ad, featuring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost, showcases the greatness of mundane couplehood through self-aware humor, while the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary trailer is a celebration of talent coming back together to share in the joy of an emotional journey with an open and unstaged candidness.

Creatively speaking, brands that are making an impact are being bold enough to break out of the norms within their vertical lanes. Pair this with evolving technology that is enabling more creative variety, better automation and optimization, and sets of ads that complement each other across our non-linear (funnel) reality. Telecom Egypt is a great example. They got bolder with their storytelling, and their deployment strategy. Combining long and short forms synced to enable them to share multiple great stories, but also following up with hyper functional Bumpers and display to get specific about the action they want a user to take.

We see with ads like Telecom Egypt and Apple’s new Macbook Air and iPhone 14 that wonderful storytelling drives interest and engagement—but this is smartly paired with practical and well illustrated product details and differentiators, combining trademarks of awareness branding with those of consideration and action. In a non-linear media world, optimization is about adding function to great storytelling to drive action, without killing the creative. Using storytelling is a trademark of awareness branding, but what we are seeing on global and regional levels with ads like Chevy Brazil, BMW US, Telecom Egypt, and Apple’s new Macbook Air and iPhone 14 is the cross section of immersive brand storytelling meeting the most epic longform product demos. Content that users don’t want to stop watching (even at 4 minutes long!) is layered with practical and well illustrated product details and differentiators. An updated strategy well suited for the non-linear media world where optimization is about adding function to great storytelling to drive action, without killing the creative.

As one user said of the Hyundai-BTS Goal of the Century collaboration, “Music is indeed the UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE! ” Use of music is not novel, neither is the idea of big brands partnering with music icons, but what seems to be a sticking point and will continue to surface is a focus on breaking down social barriers, unifying around ecological themes impacting the world and a sustainable united future. Whether connecting the literal Goal of the Century to the World Cup, BTS evoking excitement and nostalgia to promote travel, or Chevy’s partnership with Zé Felipe shining a light on agribusiness — well-orchestrated use of music can charge creativity emotionally and do something more.

YouTube Ads Leaderboard are determined by an algorithm that factors in organic and paid views, watch time and audience retention. Placements are limited to one ad per brand to better reflect the broad range, quality and popularity of YouTube ads throughout the year. Based on data from 11/1/2021 - 10/31/2022.