Celebrities taking selfies is a hallmark of the modern entertainment age. And in the end, even "The Force" is powerless to stop it.
Turkish Airlines' "Kobe vs. Messi: The Selfie Shootout" commercial from 2013 ran away with the public vote and has been named ad of the decade by YouTube, as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations. The runner-up was Volkswagen's beloved 2011 Super Bowl spot "The Force," with a mini Darth Vader bending a Passat to his will.
P&G's Always, Volvo Trucks and Dove rounded out the top five, as YouTube users voted for their favorite from among 20 iconic ads posted to the site since 2005. The contest was held in partnership with the Webby Awards.
The pleasantly goofy Turkish Airlines ad, starring Kobe Bryant and Lionel Messi in an epic battle of selfies—a sequel to a similar spot from 2012—wasn't as critically lauded as the others in the top five. (The other four spots all won major ad awards.) But with 140 million views to date, it far outpaced the others in terms of reach.
"'Selfie Shoot-out' had all the right ingredients for success on YouTube—an adventuresome client, two of the most globally well loved figures in sports, a great idea and a terrific platform to share our work," said Andrew Keller, CEO of Crispin Porter + Bogusky, which made the spot.
Check out all five ads below.
