- 1: Dove: Evolution
- 2. Dermablend: Go Beyond the Cover
- 3. Kijiji Canada: Eric wants to sell his stuff
- 4. McDonald's Canada: Behind the scenes at a McDonald’s photo shoot
- 5. Skittles: Touch: Cat
- 6. adidas: Star Wars Cantina 2010
- 7. David Cornfield Melanoma Fund Canada: Dear 16-year-old Me
- 8. Barbie: Glam Vacation Jet commercial
- 9. BMW Canada: Walls
- 10. Budweiser Canada: Flash Fans
-
1: Dove: Evolution
Dove: “Evolution”
Posted: Oct. 2006 (One of only two on this list that does not appear to have been posted by the advertiser – appears to be the account of the ad’s director.)
YouTube views: 15.2 million
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather
The Canadian duo of Janet Kestin and Nancy Vonk helped to define the potential of online video with this campaign, which won the Grand Prix in both the Cyber and Film categories at the Cannes advertising festival in 2007. -
2. Dermablend: Go Beyond the Cover
Dermablend: “Go Beyond the Cover”
Posted: Oct., 2011
YouTube views: 10.8 million (the agency says it’s more than 15-million when other sources are counted)
Agency: Tuxedo
Featuring “zombie boy” Rick Genest, the video showed just how effective the premium cover-up makeup is by making the model covered in tattoos from head to toe, look like his skin had never been touched by the needle. It then removed the makeup to show the elaborate art that the product had made completely invisible. It won a silver lion in the Cyber category at Cannes this year. -
3. Kijiji Canada: Eric wants to sell his stuff
Posted: Feb. 2011
YouTube views: a bewildering 10.2 million, despite the fairly straightforward content -
4. McDonald's Canada: Behind the scenes at a McDonald’s photo shoot
Posted: June 2012
YouTube views: 7.1 million
Agency: Tribal DDB Toronto
The fast food chain has been attempting to address its critics, and dubious customers, with answers to their most unflattering questions. The marketing strategy revolves around transparency and fostering trust in the brand. -
5. Skittles: Touch: Cat
Posted: March 2011
YouTube views: 6.5 million
Agency: BBDO Canada
The original goal for the campaign was to reach 800,000 views. The amount that it exceeded that number is an example of the importance of “seeding,” a technique that distributes a video to a network of bloggers and other online sources that are particularly influential for the ad’s target demographic. Spreading a video across the Web in this way gives it a chance to go viral. In the eight weeks after the “Touch the Rainbow” campaign launched (which “Cat” was part of), sales of the candy went up 78 per cent. -
6. adidas: Star Wars Cantina 2010
Posted: June 2010
YouTube views: 6 million
Agency: Sid Lee -
7. David Cornfield Melanoma Fund Canada: Dear 16-year-old Me
Posted: May 2011
YouTube views: 6 million
Agency: Evidently -
8. Barbie: Glam Vacation Jet commercial
Posted: Nov. 2010 (by a Barbie Collectors fan group)
YouTube views: 5.3 million (An example of the preponderance of Internet use among younger generations; many Barbie enthusiasts have grown up with YouTube.) -
9. BMW Canada: Walls
Posted: June 2011
YouTube views: 4 million
Agency: Cundari (Which launched a follow-up this summer, “Bullet.” It has already hit 4 million as well.) -
10. Budweiser Canada: Flash Fans
Posted: Feb. 2012
YouTube views: 3.9 million
Agency: Anomaly
