Quick story: I went to the barber’s recently and the guy cutting my hair told me about some video on YouTube that showed a monkey shooting an AK-47. Since Mashable had just written about the video, I said “Oh, you mean for that new Planet of the Apes movie?”
“No,” he replied. “This is a monkey shooting a gun.”
The lesson: Either we were talking about two totally different videos or, in this case, people don’t necessarily connect your viral video with the product it was intended to promote. This could be a worrying trend, since the new wave of viral marketers go out of their way to bury any reference to the sponsor.
But the efficacy of these videos is beside the point for our current purposes. What’s important for the Mashable Global Ads Chart, our list of the 20 most-shared ads, is views. In raw numbers, these are the video ads that the world spent the most time watching in July. As usual, there’s a random assortment of fake virals, outright commercials and the same videos that keep popping up month after month. And, oh yeah, there’s that monkey with the gun.
Note: The list below does not include music videos, user-generated content or movie trailers. Unruly Media’s Viral Video Chart tracks 18 million shares a day through third-party APIs.
20 Most-Shared Video Ads, July 2011
"Ape With AK-47" (Twentieth Century Fox's Rise of the Planet of the Apes)
There's something magical about a monkey and an AK-47. That's the only conclusion to draw from the 11 million views that this video has drawn since June 13. The viral video is one of several that Fox released to promote its upcoming movie Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which hits theaters on August 5.
"Crazy Marriage Proposal - Guy falls off building!!!" (Neuro Water)
In another one of those "is this for real?" viral ads, a guy executes a fairly elaborate marriage proposal possibly with the goal of marketing Neuro Water.
"2D Photography Rube Goldberg" (2D Photography)
Rube Goldberg contraptions are a mainstay of viral videos, whether they're for
OK GO or for Honda. The latest entrant in the category is 2D Photography, a commercial photography firm in Toronto.
"Google Chrome: Justin Bieber" (Google)
After getting up close and personal with Lady Gaga, Google profiles another young singer. Maybe you've heard of him?
"Angry Birds Live" (T-Mobile)
The popular mobile game Angry Birds is played out IRL, and hilarity ensues.
"Unleash Your Fingers" (Samsung)
Samsung launches the Galaxy S II in France with the help of Jay Funk, who is, of course, an "Internet Finger Tutting phenomenon," according to Samsung. Funk can make cubes and butterflies and other stuff come out of his hands with a little CGI help.
"Danny MacAskill - Way Back Home" (Red Bull)
In another long-term hit, Danny MacAskill does some crazy stunts on his bike on a trip from Edinburgh back to his hometown, Dunvegan, in the Isle of Skye in Scotland.
"Ken Block's Gymkhana THREE, Part 2; Ultimate Playground; l'Autodrome, France" (DC Shoes)
More racing porn on behalf of DC Shoes. Pretty impressive, but can Block drive the car through car-sized holes in cement walls?
"The Google+ project: A quick look" (Google)
You may have heard something about this new social network, Google+. Well, here's a guide if you haven't.
"Evian Roller Babies International Version" (Evian)
Those lovable Roller Babies are back, or never left I suppose.
"BMW 1M - Walls - MPowered Performance Part 1" (BMW)
Racing car videos are the macho equivalent of LOLCats. Here, a BMW 1 Series M Coupe makes its way through cartoon-style car-shaped holes in concrete walls. Professional driver. Do not attempt. Watch Part 2 here.
"Justin Bieber and Usher Happy Birthday Song [Mysto & Pizzi vs. Agent Jackson remix]" (American Cancer Societ)
The Biebs and Usher sing Happy Birthday for all those cancer survivors out there. They must have bought the rights to the song, since anyone who posts themselves singing "Happy Birthday" on YouTube will get their video taken down
“No,” he replied. “This is a monkey shooting a gun.”
The lesson: Either we were talking about two totally different videos or, in this case, people don’t necessarily connect your viral video with the product it was intended to promote. This could be a worrying trend, since the new wave of viral marketers go out of their way to bury any reference to the sponsor.
But the efficacy of these videos is beside the point for our current purposes. What’s important for the Mashable Global Ads Chart, our list of the 20 most-shared ads, is views. In raw numbers, these are the video ads that the world spent the most time watching in July. As usual, there’s a random assortment of fake virals, outright commercials and the same videos that keep popping up month after month. And, oh yeah, there’s that monkey with the gun.
Note: The list below does not include music videos, user-generated content or movie trailers. Unruly Media’s Viral Video Chart tracks 18 million shares a day through third-party APIs.
20 Most-Shared Video Ads, July 2011
"Ape With AK-47" (Twentieth Century Fox's Rise of the Planet of the Apes)
There's something magical about a monkey and an AK-47. That's the only conclusion to draw from the 11 million views that this video has drawn since June 13. The viral video is one of several that Fox released to promote its upcoming movie Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which hits theaters on August 5.
"Crazy Marriage Proposal - Guy falls off building!!!" (Neuro Water)
In another one of those "is this for real?" viral ads, a guy executes a fairly elaborate marriage proposal possibly with the goal of marketing Neuro Water.
"2D Photography Rube Goldberg" (2D Photography)
Rube Goldberg contraptions are a mainstay of viral videos, whether they're for
OK GO or for Honda. The latest entrant in the category is 2D Photography, a commercial photography firm in Toronto.
"Google Chrome: Justin Bieber" (Google)
After getting up close and personal with Lady Gaga, Google profiles another young singer. Maybe you've heard of him?
"Angry Birds Live" (T-Mobile)
The popular mobile game Angry Birds is played out IRL, and hilarity ensues.
"Unleash Your Fingers" (Samsung)
Samsung launches the Galaxy S II in France with the help of Jay Funk, who is, of course, an "Internet Finger Tutting phenomenon," according to Samsung. Funk can make cubes and butterflies and other stuff come out of his hands with a little CGI help.
"Danny MacAskill - Way Back Home" (Red Bull)
In another long-term hit, Danny MacAskill does some crazy stunts on his bike on a trip from Edinburgh back to his hometown, Dunvegan, in the Isle of Skye in Scotland.
"Ken Block's Gymkhana THREE, Part 2; Ultimate Playground; l'Autodrome, France" (DC Shoes)
More racing porn on behalf of DC Shoes. Pretty impressive, but can Block drive the car through car-sized holes in cement walls?
"The Google+ project: A quick look" (Google)
You may have heard something about this new social network, Google+. Well, here's a guide if you haven't.
"Evian Roller Babies International Version" (Evian)
Those lovable Roller Babies are back, or never left I suppose.
"BMW 1M - Walls - MPowered Performance Part 1" (BMW)
Racing car videos are the macho equivalent of LOLCats. Here, a BMW 1 Series M Coupe makes its way through cartoon-style car-shaped holes in concrete walls. Professional driver. Do not attempt. Watch Part 2 here.
"Justin Bieber and Usher Happy Birthday Song [Mysto & Pizzi vs. Agent Jackson remix]" (American Cancer Societ)
The Biebs and Usher sing Happy Birthday for all those cancer survivors out there. They must have bought the rights to the song, since anyone who posts themselves singing "Happy Birthday" on YouTube will get their video taken down
