Celebrity endorsers have secured top places in YouTube Philippines’s top 10 online ads for the first quarter of the year, confirming the continued influence of star power among Filipinos.
Based on an algorithm that factored in both paid and organic views, and audience retention, YouTube Ads Leaderboard for the first quarter of 2014 consists of seven local and three international ads.
“Most of the ads were produced locally, which doesn’t come as a surprise. Filipinos are very much capable of creating relevant online content,” said Ryan Morales, Google Philippines Head of Marketing. “After all, Filipino creative content has dominated YouTube time and again.”
Dave Ferrer, Executive Creative Director of JWT Manila, and Eugene Demata, Executive Creative Director of DM9JaymeSyfu’s digital agency Di9it, shared their thoughts on how and why the following ads locked in their viewers.
10. Urban Discovery | All-New Ford EcoSport | Philippines
Ford’s jam-packed mock trailer ad has a lot to offer its viewers—a little bit of action here, some comedy there, and even a brewing romance between YouTube sensations Petra Mahalimuyak and Bogart the Explorer. “This ad definitely respects its [online] medium, making proper use of cyber celebrities,” said Eugene.
According to Dave, whose agency produced the piece, the trailer is “meant to entice people to participate in the promotion, which is part of a bigger campaign to follow in the coming weeks.”
9. AXE PEACE | Make Love, Not War (Official :60)
Axe commercials, though always creative, are usually centered around attraction. The message and the twist of the piece drove audiences, and even our two creative directors, to admire and share it on various social media platforms.
“It’s something I did not expect Axe to say. Make love, not war. ‘Make love’ is very in-line with this brand—’not war’ adds a nice twist to it,” said Dave.
“It definitely offers something new. It’s a very good departure from the usual sex-focused advertising,” said Eugene. “The production value is excellent. It’s engaging, unexpected and surprising.”
8. Nestlé Philippines TV Commercial: MILO 50th Year “The Call”
“Off the bat, you know it’s already a Milo commercial. The colors are a dead giveaway. It’s very traditional Milo,” said Dave of the anthemic nostalgia-inducing ad. “It’s very impressive and nicely directed, and is attractive to those who grew up drinking Milo and fans of the famous athletes featured on the ad.”
7. Hidden camera catches dream date gone wrong #FlakerDate
Eugene said Head & Shoulders’ “hidden camera” set-up with Ramon Bautista was fun and successful in engaging its viewers, but thought it comes off as less than authentic. For Dave, “It feels a little bit manufactured, but it was funny to see the reactions of the victims of the gag—when they met the girl and when they saw that her dandruff was falling on her food. It was gross, but funny.”
“This is going to be the trend,” Dave added. “Recording how people behave when confronted with something.”
6. Dare To Be Instant Fair with Vaseline
Vaseline’s coverage of its Dare To Be Instant Fair challenge allowed viewers to see the product in action. “People want to know if the product really works,” said Dave.
“Using Maxene Magalona, an influencer with so many followers, as an ambassador for their brand is very effective,” said Eugene. “She really did her job well.”
5. Magnum Gold?! in The Philippines
Magnum was launched in the Philippines with so much hype and celebrity value. In the same spirit, the ad, directed by Bryan Singer—best known for directing 1995 American crime-thriller classic, The Usual Suspects—also features Academy Award winner Benicio del Toro.
“I thought it was Angelina Jolie [with del Toro]. She’s a dead ringer,” said Dave of Brazilian supermodel Caroline de Souza. “It reminded me of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but the production value was just okay. The good looking celebrities made it watchable.”
4. World`s First Bendable TV Samsung @ CES 2014
Attracting the attention of techies, the bendable TV was showcased at the Samsung booth at CES 1014, an annual global consumer electronics and consumer technology tradeshow held in Nevada. “The innovation drove the views,” said Eugene. “A bendable TV is something new. The beauty of this is it’s the content that’s driving the viewers.”
3. #GetEnergized With The New Pond’s Men!
It’s no surprise that this action-packed Pond’s Men ad made it to the top three with heartthrob Xian Lim endorsing the product. “Pond’s has always been for women, and now there’s a new product for men. This and, of course, the good looking talent makes the ad interesting. I imagine it was viewed by a lot of people who have a crush on Xian Lim,” said Dave.
2. Fade Pimple Marks with the new Pond’s White Beauty!
Though a traditional and conventional ad, Pond’s White Beauty did not fail to capture the interest of online viewers, placing second in the Leaderboard. “Celebrity endorsers like Julia Barretto are very effective in attracting viewers,” said Eugene. With radiant skin like hers, who wouldn’t want to know her secret?
1. Globe: Creating a Wonderful World
With the upbeat music and the animated treatment of the film, Globe’s Creating a Wonderful World topped the Ads Leaderboard this quarter. ”The way they talked about their different services for Globe in this animated way is quite entertaining to look at,” said Dave.
“It’s like the Nora-Vilma rivalry,” said Eugene, referring to the competition between the Philippines’ top two telecommunications companies, Globe Telecom and Smart Communications. “The competition is really hot right now.”
According to both Dave and Eugene, the upcoming trend will boil down to great ideas. Both expressed their vision for ads with fantastic “shareable” content in the guise of something really funny much like the Head & Shoulders ad, but more authentic. “The trend we see working for online advertising right now is the use of influencers,” said Ryan. “But at the same time, we also see a rise in great content.”
