The 10 Most Most Popular YouTube Ads in Pakistan in 2017

Google released its first YouTube Ads Leaderboard for Pakistan following the platform’s first full year of operation after returning to the country in 2016.

This list (which includes the name of the Brand, Title, and Media/Creative Agency) represents the top 10 ads and branded content people chose to watch on YouTube through a combination of popularity and promotion.

Here are the most popular YouTube Ads that made it big with Pakistani consumers:

Coca-Cola

Sahir Ali Bagga & Aima Baig, Baazi, Coke Studio Season 10, Episode 3 (7:26) | Starcom / Digital / Ogilvy

Surf Excel

Surf Excel Ramazan 2017 | #NekiEkIbadat (2:20) | Mindshare  / Mullen & Lowe

Sunsilk

Sunsilk Wedding Diaries (1:05) | Mindshare / JWT

Paddle Pop

The New Adventures of Paddle Pop Full Movie (45:43) | Mindshare

Cornetto

Yeh Kya Hua by Komal Rizvi #CornettoPopRock2  (3.58) | Mindshare / Body Beat Pakistan

Telenor

Telenor 4G – Jo Har Pakistani Chahay (1:00) | OMD / Ogilvy

Lifebuoy

Dr. Lifebuoy vs Jaraseem Full Song (1:03) | Mindshare / Mullen & Lowe

Sprite

Mirchi Ko Sprite Kar – TVC (0:55) | Starcom / Ogilvy

djuice Pakistan

Oye Kuch Kar Guzar: Episode 1 – The Journey Begins (9:46) | OMD / Adcom

Pepsi

Launch Song | #PepsiBattleOfTheBands (2:30) | Mindshare / Saatchi

Trends from the Annual Leaderboard

• Ads and branded content that entertain and take their time. Long-form ads dominate the list, with all ten running well beyond the traditional 30 second TV spot. The ads on the list are all videos that viewers in Pakistan chose to watch, so holding an audience’s attention for an extended period, in Paddle Pop’s or djuice’s cases is quite a feat. The beauty of YouTube’s flexible ads is that it allows brands to focus telling compelling stories running however long (or short) the story requires.
• Lights, camera, music! People in Pakistan love their music, and brands like Coke, Cornetto Lifebuoy and Pepsi have realized that and incorporated catchy tunes into their ads. But music is only impactful if it can be heard—the good news is that 95% of ads on YouTube are played with the sound on.
• Seizing aspirational and seasonal moments. Ramadan (Surf Excel), important life events (Sunsilk) and staying positive are also themes that cut across ads that got the most engagement from the YouTube viewing public.

Globally, 1.5 billion people log into YouTube every single month, and users spend over an hour each day watching YouTube on their mobile screens. These winning ads and branded content are a reminder of the amazing creativity alive today in the Pakistani ads industry.

While sometimes digital can seem to be all about technology, digital video ads and branded content on YouTube frees up brands and agencies to spend more time doing what they do best — getting creative and communicating brand values that resonate with consumers.