Google Android’s ‘Friends Furever’ spot is Most Shared Ad of 2015 according to Unruly’s Top 20

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Screen Shot 2015-11-19 at 7.02.51 am.jpgA cute commercial for Android featuring clips of unlikely animals playing together is the most shared ad of 2015, according to data released today by video ad tech company Unruly.

Friends Furever” – which depicts some surprising animal friendships – has attracted 6,432,921 shares across Facebook, Twitter and the blogosphere since its launch in February, putting it ahead of Disney’s “Surprise Shoppers” campaign, which took second spot in Unruly’s annual Top 20 Global Video Ads Chart.

It not only makes it this year’s landslide winner, but also the most shared ad of all time – ahead of last year’s top ad, Activia’s World Cup ad “La, La, La“, which has attracted 6,094,762 shares across social media since its launch in 2014.

Screen Shot 2015-11-19 at 7.06.19 am.jpgIn third place is a commercial created by Buzzfeed Video for Purina pet food about one man and his pup (3,021,499 shares), while ads for Budweiser (5th – 2,808,541 shares) and Kleenex (10th – 2,027,213 shares) continue the animal friendship theme. A heavily-disguised Cristiano Ronaldo dribbles his way into fourth place with an ad for his own line of headphones for Monster (2,995,849 shares). Three adidas commercials make it into the Top 20 – the most for any single brand.

Unruly’s APAC MD Phil Townend said: “We’ve been collecting and analysing consumer data on video consumption and sharing patterns since 2006 and one of the key drivers to video shareability is emotional intensity – how an ad makes a person feel.

“From the joy you feel when your pup welcomes you home to nostalgic memories of your childhood pet, animals can tap into a wide range of emotions that have broad appeal. By placing the focus on friendship and shared experiences, advertisers in 2015 have successfully used dogs, cats and other furry friends to provoke strong feelings of warmth and well-being.”

Screen Shot 2015-11-19 at 7.08.59 am.jpgThe Ad Council’s “Love Has No Labels” (6th – 2,743,138 shares), aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion, is one of eight campaigns supporting good causes to also make it into this year’s top 20.

Other examples include a Microsoft video featuring Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr giving a young boy a prosthetic arm (9th – 2,119,279 shares), an anti-domestic violence PSA from Italian newspaper Fanpage.it (8th – 2,365,612 shares), a Game of Thrones and Coldplay partnership for Red Nose Day (15th – 998,762), John Lewis’ Christmas cracker “#ManontheMoon“, run in conjunction with Age UK (17th – 693,343), and British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s festive ad “Mog’s Christmas Calamity” (19th – 629,720), which supports charity Save The Children.

Unruly’s most shared ads of 2015

Android – “Friends Furever” – 6,432,921 shares

Disney – “Disney Characters Surprise Shoppers” – 3,943,997

Roc by Ronaldo / Monster – “Cristiano Ronaldo – People are going to think I’m crazy!” – 2,995,849

Budweiser – Super Bowl Commercial “Lost Dog” – 2,808,541

Ad Council – “Diversity & Inclusion – Love Has No Labels” – 2,743,138

Zorba – “Maya” – 2,634,706

Fanpage.it – “Slap her“: children’s reactions – 2,365,612

Microsoft – “Robert Downey Jr. Delivers a Real Bionic Arm” – 2,119,279

Kleenex – “Unlikely Best Friends” – 2,027,213

Metlife – “My dad’s story“: Dream for My Child” – 1,497,418

Pandora – “The unique connection” – 1,157,824

DC Shoes – “Robbie Maddison’s Pipe Dream” – 1,058,149

Supercell – “Clash of Clans: Revenge” – 1,005,673

Red Nose Day – “Coldplay’s Game of Thrones: The Musical” – 998,762

adidas: “Create Your Own Game” – 779,019    

John Lewis – “#ManontheMoon” – 693,343

adidas – “Unfollow ft Leo Messi” – 681,645

Sainsbury’s – “Mog’s Christmas Calamity” – 629,720

adidas: “Yesterday Is Gone” – 625,545

Says Sarah Wood, co-CEO, Unruly: “Data analysis of 1,300 ads proves that 2015 was a highly emotional year for video ads. On the one hand, warmth and happiness shone through, with brands using fluffy pets and simple storylines to melt our hearts and amplify sharing.

“At the same time, other advertisers aligned themselves with social causes, evoking strong feelings of sadness and inspiration. It’s not that Adland has lost its sense of humour this year; it’s just that it’s found a sense of higher purpose.

“Next year, we expect the advertiser focus to move away from warmth and happiness that were popular in 2015 to those of exhilaration. With its deluge of superhero, war and zombie flicks – from Batman v Superman to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – being released in 2016, we can expect marketers to follow Hollywood with similar themes. Going into a quadrennial year of Olympics, European Championships and Presidential elections, the competition for consumer attention will be fierce and consumers will be looking for superhero brands to exhilarate and entertain them in 2016.”

The 2015 chart also shows a significant increase in social media shares from the previous year. This year’s top 20 attracted a total of 40,219,853 shares – a 38.5
0% increase from last year’s top 20, which generated 29,038,725 shares altogether.

Ads for Samsung, DC Shoes, Supercell and Zorba, a Renaissance Studio based in India, also make it into the top 20.