Ad of the Decade: No More Television

In YouTube’s celebration of its 10th anniversary, a shortlist of 20 iconic adverts of the decade were introduced. The list was selected by advertisers, marketers and the platform’s users. The factors taken into consideration for voting were authenticity, creativity, interaction and the message. Since the voting was conducted by YouTube, the level of viewership was also a determinative factor. 

The 4 runner ups in the list included Volkswagen (The Force), Always (Like a Girl), Volvo Trucks and the Real Beauty Sketches from Dove. However, the top title was captured by Turkish Airlines’ “Kobe vs. Messi: The Selfie Shootout”. This advert shows the two athletes in a battle of selfies, catching flights to trade selfies from exotic locations around the world.

Having a great idea, an adventurous story and the presence of two of the most beloved figures in the sports largely contributed to the success of the video, but there is something more to it. In comparison with other names in the top, “The Selfie Shootout” has twice the views of the rest. How did this happen?

Alongside Crispin Porter+Bogusky and Starcom, the developers of the ad, there are other advertising companies who helped the campaign by identifying high profile YouTube users. Put differently, the campaign followed a strategic viral marketing. Through “seeding”-the act of paying the platforms’ influential figures to help accelerate the viewership of the video- the advert was seen and shared millions of times. The process starts with top YouTube influencers getting paid to share the video and comment on it. Afterwards, followers catch up and share it for free. Therefore, a good seeding program has been one of the keys to success of the airline’s campaign.  Combination of the world’s love for selfies and sport personalities, organic and not so advertise-y nature of the video and its online publication are some other reasons the ad became such a hit. In brief, in a world where most people are consuming more and more contents online, video sharing platforms will be –if they already are not- the future of television for the advertisement.

Have you already seen this video? What do you think are the reasons behind the massive success of this advert? 

The 4 runner ups in the list included Volkswagen (The Force), Always (Like a Girl), Volvo Trucks and the Real Beauty Sketches from Dove. However, the top title was captured by Turkish Airlines’ “Kobe vs. Messi: The Selfie Shootout”. This advert shows the two athletes in a battle of selfies, catching flights to trade selfies from exotic locations around the world.

Having a great idea, an adventurous story and the presence of two of the most beloved figures in the sports largely contributed to the success of the video, but there is something more to it. In comparison with other names in the top, “The Selfie Shootout” has twice the views of the rest. How did this happen?

Alongside Crispin Porter+Bogusky and Starcom, the developers of the ad, there are other advertising companies who helped the campaign by identifying high profile YouTube users. Put differently, the campaign followed a strategic viral marketing. Through “seeding”-the act of paying the platforms’ influential figures to help accelerate the viewership of the video- the advert was seen and shared millions of times. The process starts with top YouTube influencers getting paid to share the video and comment on it. Afterwards, followers catch up and share it for free. Therefore, a good seeding program has been one of the keys to success of the airline’s campaign.  Combination of the world’s love for selfies and sport personalities, organic and not so advertise-y nature of the video and its online publication are some other reasons the ad became such a hit. In brief, in a world where most people are consuming more and more contents online, video sharing platforms will be –if they already are not- the future of television for the advertisement.

Have you already seen this video? What do you think are the reasons behind the massive success of this advert? 

You can see the links to the videos below.

Kobe vs. Messi: The Selfie Shootout

The Force

Like A Girl

The Epic Split

Real Beauty Sketches

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