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This analysis, led by Anne Marie Nelson-Bogle, VP of Ads Marketing, highlights how leading brands are innovating their storytelling techniques, embracing diverse perspectives, and leveraging partnerships with creators. Here’s a closer look at the key findings from this groundbreaking study and what they mean for marketers.
Key Findings from YouTube’s Analysis
Key Findings from YouTube’s Analysis:
1. Increased Representation in Advertising
This year, many ads emphasized diversity, featuring characters in groundbreaking roles and highlighting accessibility.
For example, “Javier in Frame | Google Pixel SB Commercial 2024” highlights AI technology that helps people with visual impairments capture life’s moments. It currently has 50 million views.
“A Personal Voice on iPhone | The Lost Voice | Apple” depicts a father in a wheelchair using his phone’s voice feature to read bedtime stories to his daughter. It currently has 18 million views.
“Mais Uma Canetada de Maybelline” features Ludmilla, the Brazilian singer who became the first Afro-Latina artist to perform on the main stage at Coachella this year, breaks barriers and promotes an inclusive view of beauty. It currently has 10 million views.
“Yes. I. Can.,” uploaded by Peloton, features characters with physical disabilities in physically active roles. It currently has 8.8 million views.
“Lidl Kids Team – UEFA Euro 2024” does something similar in a campaign to give children the chance to be an official UEFA EURO 2024 player escort. It currently has 5.4 million views.
Finally, “Mundo Nu, um mundo de N possibilidades #NuAcessível,” uploaded by Nubank, a Brazilian financial institution, features a sign language interpreter in the lower right corner of an ad celebrating its 10th anniversary. It currently has 638,000 views.
2. Celebration of Self-Expression
Today’s advertising highlights self-expression by celebrating individuality and unique styles.
For example, “TISSOT | PRX 35mm – Off The Cuff Campaign (Cutdown)” features five Gen Z characters with distinctive makeup, hairstyles and vintage cars. It currently has 42 million views.
Audi’s “Living Progress” campaign in the U.K. highlighted singer Jorja Smith’s journey from barista to award-winning artist, turning her personal story into an empowering message. Unfortunately, the video ads are now private.
3. Community-Focused Storytelling
The analysis revealed a shift towards community-focused storytelling. Brands are moving away from the virtual interactions that characterized the pandemic era and are now emphasizing deeper, more intentional human connections. This approach not only strengthens brand loyalty but also encourages consumers to engage with each other, fostering a sense of belonging.
For example, BMW’s “Father & Son. Freude forever” shows a touching moment between a father and son. It currently has 6.3 million views.
On the other hand, “Sisters (Nintendo Switch)” highlights the bond between sisters and their family over a shared love for gaming. It currently has 352,000 views.
4. Embracing Magic and Fantasy
Creative teams are increasingly incorporating magic and fantasy elements into their ads to captivate viewers. By using imaginative storytelling techniques, brands can spark interest and create memorable experiences that resonate with audiences. This trend highlights the power of creativity in advertising, encouraging brands to think outside the box.
For example, “이 맛에 겨울여행 하는거지🎵🍖(feat.맛잘알 7인),” uploaded by Yugiohtae, a South Korean hotel and travel booking platform, features dreamlike backdrops. It currently has 23 million views.
Meanwhile, “PEDIGREE – Feed the good” imagines a young boy creating a fantastical backstory for his rescue dog. This unlisted video currently has 15 million views.
4. Embracing Magic and Fantasy
Brands are increasingly partnering with creators and using Shorts to build trust and connect authentically with audiences.
For instance, check out “The Haters Upset: AXE vs Tom Ford.” The brand partnered with sports influencers to take a blind smell test during March Madness.
Although Axe ran 30-second ads on linear TV during March Madness, the brand uploaded a two-minute version on YouTube that gave fans a longer look at the athletes’ reactions. It currently has 800,000 views.
“The Shockingly Comfortable ABC Pant: Ft. Wayne Gretzky, DK Metcalf and Casey Neistat,” uploaded by Lululemon, features the leading career goal scorer, assist producer and point scorer in the National Hockey League; a wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and a YouTube personality, filmmaker and vlogger. It currently has 100,000 views.
Traditional Best Practices Still Matter
While innovative approaches are essential, YouTube’s analysis confirmed that traditional advertising best practices remain effective. Successful ads consistently start with a strong hook, incorporate elements of pop culture, feature catchy music, and utilize humor to engage audiences. As brands continue to explore new technologies and creative strategies, these foundational principles should not be overlooked.
YouTube’s Methodology: A Deep Dive into Data
YouTube is a unique platform that reaches engaged audiences across various formats.
However, understanding which stories truly resonate with these audiences requires more than a surface-level analysis of the video marketing landscape.
To uncover deeper insights, YouTube’s data scientists used Google AI to analyze 8,000 campaigns from top advertisers over six months. They identified hidden connections between unrelated videos from eight countries using a custom large language model.
An algorithm then grouped these videos based on semantic similarities, yielding 750 insights per category before Gemini 1.5 Pro enhanced the findings.
Gemini distilled thousands of insights into key takeaways, revealing trends, best practices and nuances that distinguish top-performing videos.
To put this effort into perspective, up to 152,000 brands from these eight countries uploaded 5.9 million videos to YouTube in the last six months, per Tubular Intelligence. This means YouTube analyzed just an extremely small sample of the best video content created by brands.
