Filipino cultural values reflected in top ten YouTube Ads

Manila, February 03, 2015 – Google Philippines released the 2014 YouTube Ads Leaderboard, revealing that not only do Filipinos respond well to culturally-relevant ads, but that the local advertising industry has gotten more accustomed to placing made-for-web content at the heart of their campaigns.

The leaderboard celebrates the top ten brands that performed best through a combination of popularity (organic views) and promotion (paid views).

Six out of ten of the ads have a distinctly Filipino flavor. Global brands like Coca-Cola — with their “Happiest Thank You” ad taking the #1 spot — use the power of heartwarming authenticity.

“‘The audience of today can’t stand anything fake or pretentious,” said Merlee Jayme, Chief Creative Officer of DM9 JaymeSyfu, noting that a great piece tells real stories, just as Google’s “Miss Nothing” tells a poignant story of Filipinos all over the world connecting via the web.

Filipinos continue to show an interest in advertising that feature local celebrities as well. Angel Locsin appearing in Mang Inasal’s prank ad and Angela Nepomuceno’s how-to hair video from Unilever demonstrate the power of this approach. Jollibee Kids Club takes a slightly different track — the cute kids in its boyband might well be the stars of the future.

With an increasingly connected world, the Filipino audience is moved by the same stories as viewers from the rest of the globe. As the world was gripped by World Cup fever, Nike’s all-star ad featuring football stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., and Wayne Rooney, among others, captivated Filipino interest as well.

As smartphones continue to evolve and penetrate a wider audience, Filipinos were keen to watch an almost four-minute-long product showcase of Samsung Galaxy S5 showing the flagship features of the device. Air New Zealand entertained Filipinos with their in-flight safety video which featured characters from The Hobbit. KLM’s well-trained puppy lost and found service, on the other hand, received awe and admiration from Filipino animal lovers.

The leaderboard is largely populated by ads that were born to be digital, with formats created specifically with YouTube’s audience in mind. #AllergicAkoSa combines the nation’s affinity for music and sharing thoughts online. “Often, they will rant, rave, and actively talk and share about things that they like and dislike,” said Paolo Reyes, Johnson & Johnson’s Sr. Brand Manager of the awareness campaign they created about allergies.

Five of the ten videos are past the three minute mark, which offers a degree of creative freedom for brands — since viewers on YouTube will watch longer videos as long as there is a strong story.

“Recognizing that the digital space is practically bursting at the seams with content choices, it is critical that we offer content that people are actually interested in,” said Dorothy Dee-Ching, Unilever Hair Marketing Director. The content for All Things Hair was defined by the people they serve with, with the topic ‘crowd-sourced’ from top searches to make sure the content is just what people are looking for.

“The YouTube Ads Leaderboard is a good opportunity for brands to showcase their understanding of the importance of digital marketing in connecting with consumers,” Ryan Morales, Google Philippines Country Marketing Manager said. “We hope the list of creative ads that people choose to watch will encourage the industry to continue watching out for consumer trends and use them to create really good digital marketing campaigns.”

Here is the complete list:

1. Coca-Cola – Happiest Thank You -3:11

2. Samsung – Samsung GALAXY S5 – Official Introduction – 3:45

3. Unilever – DIY Fish Tail Braid – All Things Hair – 3:41

4. #AllergicAkoSa – #AllergicAkoSa Song – 2:17

5. Mang Inasal – Angel Locsin Ipinaglaban Ang True Love Niya – 1:08

6. KLM – KLM Lost & Found service – 1:43

7. Air New Zealand – The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made – 4:38

8. Google – Miss Nothing – 1:40

9. Nike Football – Winner Stays. ft. Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., Rooney, Ibrahimović, Iniesta & more – 4:12

10. Jollibee – Dito, MASAYA! – 1:34