Google has announced the YouTube Ads Leaderboard for the second half of 2019, unveiling a list of top 10 video ads that Singaporeans were watching from July to December. This half-yearly list celebrates the creativity and ingenuity of brands and agencies as they develop successful and attention-grabbing video ad campaigns on YouTube that draw people in to find out more.
From snappy 30 second ads to rich storytelling woven into 13-minute short films, YouTube’s flexible creative canvas gives each brand the space to share their messages in their own unique way.
Some themes observed from the leaderboard:
- Selling an experience. Brands are bringing their A-game by building their ads around rich, visual experiences. Resorts World Sentosa kept viewers at the edge of their seats with a hair-raising preview of their signature event, Halloween Horror Nights (#1); while Apple evokes that sense of FOMO by packaging the features of its Airpod Pro (#3) and Apple Watch Series 5 (#10) into simple, compelling messages coupled with captivating visuals.
- Leaning into personal stories. Marketers are establishing connections with their audience by telling real-life, compelling, personal stories that speak to their brand purpose. This was illustrated in the National Problem Gambling Council’s video ad (#4) which saw a popular local actor, Mark Lee reveal his lesser-known past gambling addiction and touching a raw nerve with the audience. DBS was also inspired by the true story of local social enterprise, REmakeHub, who turned trash into lifestyle products and incorporated this pertinent message of sustainability into their popular online series, DBS Sparks (#6).
- An unexpected coupling. The prize of the most unexpected pairing goes to British comedian, James Corden, and beauty line, SK II (#5). His appeal as an approachable and humorous personality shone through in his entertaining banter with global ambassador Tang Wei breaks the mould of a typical beauty ad and proved to be a winning formula with the audience.
“The wide range of ads on the leaderboard embody the spirit of inventiveness that brands need to win over hearts and minds of more than 4 million Singaporeans who log onto YouTube every month. As attention becomes a scarce commodity in an already saturated media landscape, it is exciting to see brands such as Resorts World Sentosa, National Problem Gambling Council and DBS continue to break creative boundaries on YouTube to grab the attention of their consumers. We look forward to welcoming more brands to develop their next big idea on YouTube,” said Ben King, Country Director, Google Singapore.
YouTube Singapore Ads Leaderboard (July – December 2019)
Check out the full YouTube Ads Leaderboard here and below!
| No. | YouTube Title | Brand Name |
| 1 | HHN9 | Will you be his next victim? | Resorts World Sentosa |
| 2 | Project RED – Common Ground | GovSingapore |
| 3 | Introducing AirPods Pro — Apple | Apple Singapore |
| 4 | Mark Lee’s Real Life Story | NCPG Singapore |
| 5 | James Corden learns Chinese from Tang Wei, or does he? SK-II #PITERAmasterclass | SK-II |
| 6 | SPARKS | S2E4: The Trash Princess | DBS | DBS |
| 7 | National Service Hub | Ministry of Defence Singapore |
| 8 | Qoo10, Bringing the Best to You | Qoo10 Singapore |
| 9 | Dyson Airwrap™ styler – Soft smoothing brush for a smooth, blow-dry finish. | Dyson Singapore |
| 10 | Introducing Apple Watch Series 5 | Apple Singapore |
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