What Were the Top 10 YouTube Videos, Ads, and Collaborations for 2014?
As we near the end of the year, here's a look at what topped the list of the most popular advertisements, videos, and collaborations on YouTube for 2014.
Each December since 2009 YouTube has taken a look at the top videos and ads of the previous year. It’s now become a holiday tradition – like the “Airing of Grievances” on December 23 during the Festivus meal. So, let’s all just unwind for a few minutes as we rewind the top overall YouTube videos for 2014, which include a mix of advertisements, TV clips, and sketches.
Drumroll, please! In first place is Mutant Giant Spider Dog (SA Wardega).
In second place is an ad, Nike Football: Winner Stays. ft. Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., Rooney, Ibrahimović, Iniesta & more.
In third place is Wren Clothing’s ad, FIRST KISS.
In fourth place is The Voice IT | Serie 2 | Blind 2 | Suor Cristina Scuccia – #TEAMJ-AX.
In fifth place is iPhone 6 Plus Bend Test.
In sixth place is Bars & Melody – Simon Cowell’s Golden Buzzer act | Britain’s Got Talent 2014.
In seventh place is another ad, Budweiser Super Bowl XLVIII Commercial – “Puppy Love“.
In eighth place is an ad for Devil’s Due from 20th Century Fox, Devil Baby Attack.
In ninth place is Goku vs Superman. Epic Rap Battles of History Season 3.
And in 10th place is 10 Hours of Walking in NYC as a Woman.
From 30 Seconds to 3 Minutes
YouTube also took a look at the top ads that resonate with people. This year, ads on YouTube have gone from traditional 30-second ad spots to much longer videos that tell a story. In fact, the top 10 ads this year averaged three minutes in length – about six times longer than a typical TV commercial. The Nike Football “Winner Stays” video, which earned the top ad spot with nearly 100 million views, clocks in at four minutes and 12 seconds.
YouTube also reports:
- On average, ads are nearly 50 percent longer this year, but people watched them 50 percent more. People watched more than 1 billion minutes of just the top 10 ads this year – 54 percent more than last year (2014 vs. 2013). The top 10 ads were 47 percent longer this year – averaging three minutes in length (2014 vs. 2013).
- When YouTube launched the Ads Leaderboard in 2012, the top 10 ads earned 200 million views. This year, the top 10 ads more than doubled that view count, earning 425 million views.
2014 YouTube Ads Leaderboard
- Nike Football: Winner Stays. ft. Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., Rooney, Ibrahimović, Iniesta & more, 98.4 million views.
- Nike Football: The Last Game ft. Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., Rooney, Zlatan, Iniesta & more, 73.3 million views.
- Budweiser Super Bowl XLVIII Commercial — “Puppy Love”, 53.4 million views.
- Always #LikeAGirl, 53.3 million views.
- Devil Baby Attack, 48.8 million views.
- Duracell: Trust Your Power – NFL’s Derrick Coleman, Seattle Seahawks, 22.7 million views.
- Galaxy Note 4 — Then And Now, 22.1 million views.
- P&G Thank You, Mom | Pick Them Back Up | Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, 19.7 million views.
- Global Be(er) Responsible Day | “Friends Are Waiting” | Budweiser, 19.5 million views.
- Heineken | Routine Interruptions | The Payphone with Fred Armisen, 13.8M views.
Sports Events Have Gone YouTube
This was a big year for live sports, with the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and the World Cup. YouTube found that brands are increasingly using YouTube to reach fans before and after the games. And for good reason – the top 10 Super Bowl and World Cup ads this year earned a remarkable 14 million hours of watch time, with 75 percent of those hours consumed before or after the events themselves.
Top 10 Sports Ads
- Nike Football: Winner Stays. ft. Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., Rooney, Ibrahimović, Iniesta & more, 98.4 million views.
- Nike Football: The Last Game ft. Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., Rooney, Zlatan, Iniesta & more, 73.3 million views.
- #GALAXY11: The Training, 55.3 million views.
- Budweiser Super Bowl XLVIII Commercial — “Puppy Love”, 53.4 million views.
- The Dream: all in or nothing ft. Messi, Alves, Suárez, Özil, RVP and more — FIFA World Cup, 39.2 million views.
- Lionel Messi & Roger Federer Trading Places Gillette #InnerSteel, 33.8 million views.
- Beats by Dre | The Game Before The Game, 25.6 million views.
- Duracell: Trust Your Power – NFL’s Derrick Coleman, Seattle Seahawks, 22.8 million views.
- P&G Thank You, Mom | Pick Them Back Up | Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, 19.7 million views.
- House Match ft. Beckham, Zidane, Bale and Lucas Moura: all in or nothing — adidas Football, 18.9 million views.
Creator Collaborations Have Exploded
YouTube has also seen a dramatic uptick in the number of brands collaborating with YouTube creators to develop original content on YouTube. Since there were so many, this year YouTube broke out the top collaboration videos for 2014.
New This Year – Top Brand/Creator Collaborations
- Dear Kitten – BuzzFeed/Purina, 18.5 million views.
- Ping Pong Trick Shot – Dude Perfect/Pringles, 10.8 million views.
- Human Loop to Loop – Damian Walters/Pepsi Max, 10.4 million views.
- Super Hydrophobic Surface – Slow Mo Guys/GE, 7.7 million views.
- Gillette Super Trick Shot – Dude Perfect/Gillette, 6.8 million views.
After watching all of the top YouTube videos, ads, and collaborations for 2014, digital marketers should be prepared for the “Feats of Strength” that they will be asked to perform in 2015. It’s a “Festivus Miracle.”
