The Top 10 Branded Video Ad Campaigns Of 2010

It's no secret that web video is on the rise, and with it web video advertising. In 2010 we have seen some of the most innovative online video ad campaigns of all time and branded video ads are online getting better. YouTube has just announced their top 10 branded video ad campaigns of the year. Let's take a look back at them and see why they were such a success. Of course, none of the top 10 branded videos of 2010 really come as a surprise. They've all been viewed by millions, put smiles on our faces and left a lasting impression with us, and that's the reason they've all made this list. So are you ready? Let's take a trip back through 2010 in online video advertising! #1 Old Spice "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" (24.2M) It should not come as a surprise to anyone that Old Spice takes the cake for the best branded YouTube ad campaign of 2010. The original Super Bowl commercial alone has been viewed over 24 million times, not to mention the millions of views the Isaiah Mustafa response campaign accrued. The single most successful online video campaign of all time, Old Spice's Man Your Man Could Smell Like was even more popular online than Obama! The campaign sparked conversations online and off around the globe, a plethora of parodies and got people talking about Old Spice like never before. There's no question, Old Spice deserves the title of number one online branded video campaign of 2010, hands down. #2 Nike "Write The Future" (21.2M) Nike's "Write The Future" World Cup campaign has been viewed over 21 million times, but what's really impressive is that it received its first 3 million views while it was unlisted on YouTube. Not appearing in search results, and only available to viewers who watched an embedded clip or had the actual link, the video spread entirely by word of mouth through blogs and social media. The video is now set to private on YouTube, but you can view it on Vimeo in the clip below. Nike Write The Future from Wieden + Kennedy London on Vimeo. #3 DC Shoes "Ken Block's Gymkhana THREE, Part 2" (19M) DC Shoes' Gymkhana Ultimate Playground clip has only been on YouTube since September, when it made our This Week In Viral Videos list, and already has over 19 million views. When you see Ken Block's awesome segway stunt at 230, you'll have no doubt in your mind about why this campaign was so popular. What I really like about this DC Shoes campaign is that it that it isn't a blatant advertisement for DC Shoes, rather it is a really cool video that just happens to be sponsored by the shoe company. Ken Block isn't only a professional rally racer, but is also one of the co-founders of DC shoes, as well as the Chief Brand Officer. The company found a totally unique way to incorporate Block's skills into a kickass video and I love it. #4 Tipp-Ex "NSFW. A hunter shoots a bear" (13.1M) The Tipp-Ex interactive YouTube campaign is one of the most original and innovative video ad campaigns we've seen all year. It starts out with a simple video of a hunter about to shoot a bear, when he yells, "Hey, I don't wanna shoot this bear!" He proceeds to reach out of the YouTube video player screen to an ad for Tipp-Ex, and to use the Tipp-Ex to delete the word "shoots" from the video's title, "A hunter shoots a bear". Viewers are then invited to enter any other words they'd like into the title to see relevant videos. When I first saw the campaign I tried entering all sorts of words from 'A hunger "dances with" a bear' to 'a hunter "eats" a bear' to 'a hunter "farts on" a bear' and even 'a hunter "humps" a bear' (yeah I know, I'm real mature). Tipp-ex really thought of everything, and there were relevant videos for all of my title suggestions. If you haven't seen it yet, you can check out the campaign starting with the interactive video below. #5 Gillette "Amazing Roger Federer trickshot on Gillette ad shoot" (7.7M) Gillette's Roger Federer trickshot clip made our weekly list of viral videos back in August. The video of Federer knocking a bottle off a crewmember's head from across the room apparently just happened to be caught on tape at a Gillette shoot. To most viewers it's pretty apparent that the video was stages, but honestly who cares? Staged or not, the trick is real and those are some mad skills! #6 Toyota "Swagger Wagon" (7.6M) Toyota's "Swagger Wagon" clip made minivans cool this year when they took a hint from Old Spice and swaggerized the Sienna SE. In the clip, which has been viewed over 7 million times, the fictional Sienna Family raps about the Sienna SE minivan. Of course, minivans are probably the lamest vehicles around. They have always been thought about as the opposite of cool and rapping about them is, well, nothing short of ridiculous, which is why the video did so well. It's also a totally catchy tune. "Where my mother-fathers at? Where my kids at?" #7 E*TRADE "New E*TRADE Baby - Girlfriend" (6.5M) This E*TRADE Super Bowl clip might have gone viral because of the fact that people love babies, whether they are talking, laughing, singing or dancing. However, it's more likely that the clip spread like wildfire because of the "milk-a-holic Lindsay" that is mentioned in the video. A lot of people thought that E*TRADE was joking about Lindsay Lohan with the reference. Even Lohan herself sued E*TRADE for $100 million after seeing the ad! "Milk-a-what?!" #8 Doritos "Crash The Super Bowl 2010 Winner: House Rules" (6.5M) This Doritos Super Bowl commercial was the result of Doritos annual Crash the Super Bowl contest, in which they pick the best fan-generated ad to air during the Super Bowl. The video was an immediate hit. I mean, who wouldn't love a video of a little kid slapping his mom's new boyfriend? #9 GEICO "Piggy" (6.2) I'm so happy that GEICO's "Piggy" commercial made the top ten branded videos of 2010 list. I don't think a single video made me laugh quite as much as this one did this year. It inspired me to put together a list of the best talking animal videos on the web, but more than that it inspired me to share the link with everyone I know, on Facebook, Twitter and beyond. I'm sure I'm not the only one that was inspired to share this clip, as it's been viewed over 6 million times since it was uploaded in July. #10 Adidas "Adidas Originals - Star Wars Cantina" (4.7M) We covered the Adidas Star Wars Cantina campaign back in June when it hit YouTube and since June it has been viewed over 6 million times. The campaign takes the actual footage of the famous Mos Eisley Cantina scene from Star Wars and composites David Beckham, Snoop Dogg, Daft Punk, and more into the scene. The composition is seamless and looks just like the real thing. The amazing effects, paired with the fact that everyone and their mother loves Star Wars made this a viral success for Adidas. Did your favorite branded web videos make the list of YouTube's top branded ad campaigns of 2010?

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The Top 10 Branded Video Ad Campaigns Of 2010

In 2010 we have seen some of the most innovative online video ad campaigns of all time. Let's take a look back at the top ten campaigns and see why they were such a success.

Megan O'Neill

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Megan O'Neill