From epic splits to real beauty sketches: 14 of 2013’s most watched ads

A few years back, the kind of ad that went viral on YouTube wasn’t all that different to your average TV commercial. It just so happened that it struck a chord with people and exploded online. In 2013, that’s sometimes still the case but in many instances the ads we love now were born to be played on YouTube.

The intent behind them isn’t so much to push a brand into your face and make you buy its products (although a lot of pre-roll ads seem stuck in that mentality) but to tell a good story in a very limited amount of time. When brands get this right, the act of watching their ad sparks something inside of you that makes you want to share it with everyone you know. That’s pretty powerful, even if the ad doesn’t really help push sales.

In 2013, the ads that got the great, shareable content formula right were a pretty mixed bag. Some of them came from brands that have had YouTube hits before, others from new players and a few are difficult to even recognise as ads in the traditional sense.

1. Baby & me / the new Evian film: 67-million plus views

Evian is responsible for one of the most successful YouTube ads of all time and this year it showed that it isn’t just a one-hit wonder. Baby & Me took the secret sauce that made Roller Babies a breakaway success and added some serious kick. With over 67-million views, Baby & Me should overtake its predecessor any day now.

2. Dove Real Beauty Sketches: 60-million plus views

If you’re in the advertising game, you’ll see this ad used in case study after case study for a good while yet. In its various incarnations, it’s the most watched ad in online video history. For the purposes of this list however, we’re sticking to single video uploads which is why it comes in below Evian’s latest effort.

3. Volvo Trucks – The Epic Split feat. Van Damme (Live Test 6): 59-million plus views

Jean-Claude Van Damme doing the splits between two trucks while an Enya song plays in the soundtrack. On the day this video was uploaded there was no doubting that Volvo had won the internet.

4. Telekinetic Coffee Shop Surprise: 50m plus views

This promo for the remake of classic horror film Carrie, pushed the boundaries of what actually constitutes an ad. While it might not be the first viral prank video used to promote a new film, it did push the concept to new levels. Unfortunately the actual film tanked and people are far more likely to remember the YouTube video.

5. Microsoft Child of the 90s: 48m views

Microsoft’s play on nostalgia plucked at the heart strings of many an internet junkie. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Internet Explorer.

6. Pepsi MAX & Jeff Gordon Present: “Test Drive”: 40m views

Another prank ad. This one saw Nascar legend Jeff Gordon take an “unsuspecting car salesman” on the “test drive of his life”. While the video was (of course) staged, enough of the internet thought it was real to give it serious viral momentum.

7. Grand Theft Auto V: Official Gameplay Video: 29m views

What’s the best way to advertise the biggest game of 2013? The answer, it seems, is a five-minute long gameplay trailer. When you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. If you’re going to play a game, you want to know what it’ll look like while you’re playing it.

8. Cornetto “Yalın – Keyfi Yolunda, Aşkı Sonunda”: 27m views

If you ever needed proof that good, compelling stories can cross language barriers take a look at this branded mini-film from Cornetto Turkey.

9. Girls Don’t Poop — PooPourri.com: 20.6m views

Sometimes the best way to get people’s attention is to address a topic that’s taboo. It’s not always easy, even when it’s what your business is all about. But ecommerce outfit PooPourri — which sells a fragrance that is sprayed into the toilet by users before they do a number two — hit the ball out of the park with this effort.

10. Kmart — Ship My Pants: 20m plus views

Apparently the internet loves a pun. US retailer Kmart’s “Ship My Pants”, teeters on the delicate line between funny and crude. Oh and if you’re bored with shipping your pants, you can always get some “Big Gas Savings“.

11. GEICO Hump Day Camel Commercial — Happier than a Camel on Wednesday: 19m views

US insurance company Geico has something of track-record when it comes to making great ads. With “Hump Day”, it managed to combine its usual formula of talking animals, a catchy jingle and random, dry humour into something the web fell for in a big way.

12. GoPro: Fireman Saves Kitten: 19m views

It’s a fireman. Saving a kitten. On the internet. Filmed with a GoPro. What else do you need to know?

13. Phonebloks: 18.5m views

A lot of the ads on this list were made by big agencies. Dave Hakkens’ video introducing the world his Phonebloks concept wasn’t. Instead it’s a fairly simple explanation of a very good idea: a body that lets you replace “bloks” on your phone, which can include everything from your phone’s memory size, to the camera and screen.

14. Official Ram Trucks Super Bowl Commercial “Farmer”: 16.7m views

In the US, the ads that go out around the Super Bowl — its biggest sporting event — are dissected in almost as much detail as the actual game of football. This year, the undobuted winner was Dodge’s “Farmer” ad for its Ram trucks. It came in for a fair bit of cop and inspired a couple of parodies but it also powered its way to nearly 17-million views along the way.