Top 10 YouTube ads in Singapore from July to December 2016

Today Google released its YouTube Ads Leaderboard of the second half of 2016, a list showcasing the top 10 ads that captured the attention of Singaporeans during the second half of 2016 – July to December.According to Joanna Flint, country director for Google Singapore Singaporeans like ads that have a local twist.“When we compare the ads featured in the first half of 2016 to the ones in the second half, we see local ads gaining popularity. This speaks of the industry’s continued success in creating made-for-web content and we continue to see great brands and creative work on YouTube,” she said.Companies taking top positions on the leaderboard span lifestyle, food and beverage and the financial sector, demonstrating brands’ recognition of YouTube as an important part of their marketing strategies to complement traditional advertising on TV.Here are the leaders:1. StarHub - Majulah Momshttps://youtu.be/8dQSLHGonAc2. Universal Studios Singapore HHN6 | Be Engulfed by the Darkness Withinhttps://youtu.be/rAcingvjZiY3. 吃饱没？(Eat Already?) MVhttps://youtu.be/fYgr3lK_7VA4. SPARKS – Mini-series: Episode 5https://youtu.be/jmBxTGd4r605. McDonald's Confirm Shiok TVChttps://youtu.be/Wi60XHMnRqE6. SPARKS – Mini-series: Episode 4https://youtu.be/02JmWLfkVlU7. 《杂货店》The Provision Shop OST | 有空记得约我 - The Freshmanhttps://youtu.be/5e5ANB5jWbs8. iPhone 7 - Dive - Applehttps://youtu.be/hlJCzJPW73k9. McDonald's Taste Harmonyhttps://youtu.be/QZXy6HANz-Y10. 《吃饱没?》预告片 - Eat Already? Trailer (Hokkien)https://youtu.be/Zs3MizmQD6MThe Leaderboard shows a great mix of styles - from short-and-sweet 30-second ads to 12-minute drama series - reflecting the wide-ranging content on YouTube and the ability of advertisers to think creatively to capture the attention of their audiences online. There were some key themes from the leaderboard:Theme #1- Making a song and dance of it: Three of the 10 ads on the leaderboard were music videos. StarHub’s moving rendition of Majulah Singapura by 51 moms in Majulah Moms takes pole position, 吃饱没？(Eat Already?) MV emerged at #3 while The Provision Shop 《杂货店》, a music video of Royston Tan's telemovie received a positive mention by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (#7). Music-themed ads were also a hot favourite, with Apple’s Dive ad for iPhone 7 stereo speakers swimming its way to #8 and McDonald’s jingle for Taste Harmony making the cut (#9).Theme #2- Local heroes:Sometimes having a catchy tune isn’t enough − knowing your audience is a great way to create content that resonates. Hokkien music video of dialect drama, Eat Already?’s official theme song became an earworm to many. Understanding Singaporeans’ passion for food, McDonald’s injected local slang into their ‘Confirm Shiok’ menu to tickle the tastebuds of Singaporeans islandwide. Theme #3- Ads for all ages:The use of video ads to promote government policies to senior citizens, with the two entries for the Hokkien dialect show “Eat Already?” shows that advertisers realise that YouTube reaches out to audiences of all ages, not just the young. Theme #4- Cliffhanger plots:DBS’s Sparks (Ep 4 & 5) snagged two spots on the leaderboard. The popular series also bagged a place in the YouTube Ads Leaderboard during the first half of 2016, which goes to show that ads with great storylines and production values can keep viewers tuning in even for 12-minute long ads.Flint added, ”Ads need to be seen and heard to have impact on audiences and YouTube’s high viewability (93%) and audibility (95%) help brands capture viewers’ attention. The YouTube Ads Leaderboard celebrates the most creative ads and brands that did just that — these are the top ten ads that Singaporeans chose to watch. We’ve seen YouTube’s watchtime grow by 35% over the last year so it’s no surprise that brands like StarHub, DBS and the Ministry of Communications and Information are using the platform to reach viewers of all ages islandwide.”