The arrival of YouTube in 2005 not only dramatically changed the way people viewed video content online, it had a significant impact on the world of advertising. YouTube allowed people to search for their favourite ads and share them with their friends. The most entertaining and creative ads could be passed around in huge numbers gaining significantly more exposure than before, thus the viral ad was born.
The viral ad is the Holy Grail for ad agencies. If you can successful make a video ‘viral’ you can bypass the traditional (and very expensive) medium of television advertising while also giving your ad a potentially unlimited reach. Also, as these ads are actively searched for and recommended between friends, they are likely to have a lot more of an impact than if they were just viewed on TV.
Here is a list, complied by Visible Measures, of the the top viral ad campaigns of all time based on total views. You can view the videos themselves by Clicking Here
- Blendtec, “Will It Blend?” 134,256,499 Views
- Evian, “Live Young” 103,867,704 Views
- Old Spice, “Responses” 57,132,669 Views
- Pepsi, “Gladiator” 46,742,892 Views
- Microsoft, “Xbox Project Natal” 42,698,599 Views
- Dove, “Evolution” 41,100,418 Views
- T-Mobile, “T-Mobile Dance” 35,487,575 Views
- Doritos, “Crash The Super Bowl” 34,168,845 Views
- Old Spice, “Odor Blocker” 33,986,750 Views
- DC Shoes, “Gymkhana Two” 32,872,531 Views
