For ads to click, tell a story and tell it well

Google’s Gabby Roxas presents an award to Coca-Cola’s Stephan Czypionka.

They told heart-warming stories and taught songs and dances. They took Filipinos on virtual tours of unfamiliar places and introduced them to new products and services.

If you are one of those people who skip online advertisements, thinking they will be as trite and unimaginative as many television commercials have become, then you probably missed the most popular YouTube Ads that had captivated audiences in the Philippines.

At the recent selection of Google’s YouTube Ads Leaderboard for the second half of last year, it was a pleasant surprise to watch ads that were highly creative, innovative and engaging, and had apparently enthralled people on cyberspace, even if some were longer than typical television commercials.

Top winner Globe Communication’s ad, “Because You Can never Have too many Dog Videos,” was four minutes and 12 seconds long, but apparently, the poignant story of a lonely elderly widower who “found” a companion in a seemingly stray dog was irresistible to the firm’s target audience.

The ad was as emotionally charged as much-beloved Filipino tearjerkers. The dog was eventually claimed by its owners, but, in the tradition of Filipino dramas, it had a happy ending, as the man gained the friendship not just of the dog but the whole family.

Google’s Gabby Roxas presents an award to Coca-Cola’s Stephan Czypionka.

Second placer Milo, “Get #Champion Energy”, was an infectious display of energy and vivacity by a group of young dancers led by James Reid.

Oppo’s fast-moving ad, “#Capture the Real You”, which was third, made the most of the Filipino craze for taking selfies.

Most of the brands on YouTube’s top 10 were “returnees”—Globe, Nestlé with both Milo and Knorr, Jollibee (two entries), Coke and Samsung.

Philippine Airlines and Oppo were first-timers, said Gabby Roxas, country marketing manager of Google Philippines.

Beautiful Liza Soberano glowed in Samsung Philippines’ ad, “Capture the Night Anthem,” which was ranked eighth, and surprised audiences that she could sing quite well.

Solenn Heussaff’s Samar “travelogue” for Globe (“The Plan”, fifth) would make many people who watched it want to book a flight to the eastern Visayas province.

Google’s Gabby Roxas (leftmost) and Kenneth Lingan (rightmost) present an award to Milo for the “Get #ChampionEnergy” digital ad.

The longest ad was the Knorr sinigang cooking session (ninth) that featured YouTube sensations Ranz Kyle and Niana Guerrero. In its media release, Google said, “‘When Mom Cooks Favorite Food (We Get Lit!)’ . . .” challenged the standard for digital ads. At over 13 minutes long, Knorr’s ad—the longest on the list—. . . shows the flexibility of digital ads and its ability to hold viewers’ attention for far longer than the usual 30-second spot.”

Google also said, “The H2 2017 YouTube Ads Leaderboard highlights the continued popularity of local flavor and creativity in the digital video space, with all the slots filled by locally made ads. Brands showcased different approaches to inspiring Filipino audiences and holding their attention.”

It added, “It’s clear that brands are optimizing YouTube, seizing the opportunities unique to the platform to more effectively engage their audiences.”

From this year’s Leaderboard entries, Google concluded that Filipino audiences continued to favor YouTube ads that had music as their main element.

“Six of the 10 ads featured celebrities and influencers in musical performances and dance tutorials,” it said.

Brands were also addressing audiences directly, much like vlogs on YouTube, it noted.

Furthermore, lenses for digital ads were becoming wider, as they tried to capture more than just merchandise but its impact on the lives of consumers.

Roxas said, “The Leaderboard is increasingly skewed towards cultural content like music, travel and advocacy. This approach is all about getting audiences to lean in and be engaged, with ‘selling’ as an afterthought. YouTube empowers brands to foster more meaningful relationships with their audiences and the YouTube Ads Leaderboard is proof positive of this. Through masterful storytelling, brands can nurture interests and fuel passions, hold the attention of millions, and grow their share of audiences online.”

The other winners were: Fourth, Jollibee’s “Sweet-Sarap Dance Tutorial”; sixth, Jollibee’s “Unbeatable Double”; seventh, Coke’s “Coke Studio PH: Off of Center by Franco X Reese Lansangan”; and 10th, “Fly the Way You Deserve with PAL.”—CONTRIBUTED