SA’s top ten YouTube video ads for 2012

YouTube has released a list of South Africa’s top ten most popular YouTube video ads of the year. These are the South African ads which achieved the largest number of views from people in South Africa. Ranked in order they are:

1. OLX Motorbike Advertisement
2. Nando’s Diversity Campaign
3. Gumtree Property Advertisement
4. Nando’s: Last dictator standing
5. OLX Treadmill advertisement
6. Tropica: You’re a sip away from Jamaica – Flash Mob
7. Walka Handheld TV
8. Santam “Back at ya” Advertisement
9. Gumtree Kitchen Advertisement
10. Liquid Capital TV Advertisement

Other popular contenders in the running for the top ten list included:

• Gumtree Living Room Advertisement
• Nando’s: 25 Reasons Why We Love South Africa
• Nando’s: Options
• Isuzu: Sandpit
• Mentos: There’s Nothing Like a Mentos Kiss
• 8ta: more Prepaid

Google SA Country Manager, Luke Mckend, said: “2012 has been a great year for online video advertising. Brands are increasingly taking advantage of the social nature of online video by creating ads that are likely to be shared, liked and commented on.”

“Our TrueView ad formats, which enable viewers to skip an ad or choose which ad they want to see, have taken this trend to the next level. The power of choice and the opportunity for greater viewer engagement is driving more creative, entertaining video advertising than ever before.”

With YouTube becoming a standard buy for most branding campaigns, advertisers need to be sure their ads stand out. Here are a few tips and tricks for advertisers of all sizes to take advantage of YouTube:
Tell a story - The best way to get your message across is to get the audience interested. Adding a narrative to your advertising can capture the attention of your audience.

Engage the Community - Be part of the conversation. Enable comments on the channel and videos and engage users through platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
Create original content - Create the type of content that has proven to be successful online — think humorous music videos, short-form series, kittens.
Promote your videos - Consider paid media options. Trueview ads and YouTube masthead promotion can be an effective way to start getting views.

Be Clear and concise - Have a clear and accurate title, meaningful description and good keyword tags so the audience can find you through search.

Make it interactive - One of the best things about the web is that often viewers aren’t just passively watching the content but can participate in it, combining the best of technology and creativity.