Author: Franz Malten Buemann

Back in 2007, a research firm estimated that the average person saw up to 5,000 ads a day.
Fast forward to 2021, there’s no official number, but we can assume that number has probably doubled. I mean, you can’t stream a show or scroll on social media without being inundated with ads.

On YouTube, in particular, we’ve come to expect at least one ad per video. The question is, which ads are consumers paying attention to?
In this article, we’ll cover the top YouTube ads of the last two years and what made them so effective.
Best YouTube Ads of 2021 and 2020
1. Amazon: “Alexa’s Body”

At 78,344,440 views on YouTube, this ad had everyone’s attention.
To promote its virtual assistant technology, Alexa, Amazon delivers a creative and hilarious ad featuring movie star, Michael B. Jordan.

The ad starts out simply enough with a woman admiring Amazon’s Echo Dot. She then turns to the window, sees an ad for Jordan’s movie “Without Remorse” and imagines a whole life in which Alexa is actually Jordan.
The audience takes this hilarious journey with her, as she enjoys life just a little too much with Jordan until she snaps back to reality.
Here’s why this ad is fantastic: It takes a product that can be hard to advertise and quite literally brings it to life with a celebrity, People Magazine’s 2020 “Sexiest Man Alive” recipient no less.
A celebrity endorsement can definitely help boost brand awareness and recall, as long as they’re well aligned. In this case, it made for a memorable and effective ad.
2. Nike: “Never Too Far Down, You Can’t Stop Us”

When you think of Nike, one word that probably comes to mind is “inspiration.”
That concept is embedded in the brand’s values and mission statement. It’s also reflected in their ads.

Featuring some of the world’s top athletes, this ad dives into the ups and downs of success.
Footage of athletes at their lowest moments floods the screen, as basketball star Lebron James narrates the journey. He describes the struggle of falling down and the ability to get back up.
Nike has found which messaging resonates best with its audience. As a result, they don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Instead, they focus on recreating the same impact with influencers, celebrities, and everyday people.
The takeaway here is if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
3. Ad Council: Child Car Safety

This PSA is a personal favorite of mine.
You’ve got to admit: Any commercial with kids is usually a winner. But this one, in particular, stands out because it doesn’t try to use cuteness as the hook.

In this ad, two children stand in their yard as they watch their parents argue about the installation of a basketball hoop.
The father reassures the mother that “it’s all good” but all it takes is the hoop slamming to the ground for him (and her) to lose all confidence. The perspective then changes to one of the children as they encourage parents to visit a website for safer car rides.
How does it connect? Well, the idea is that the father has proven he’s willing to do anything for his kids including “routinely test [his] handyman skills” and “the strength of [his] marriage,” so this task should be an easy one.
Who said serious topics required serious ads? Often, humor is the best way to get the message across.
4. Zillow: “Susans”

Making a decision isn’t as simple as saying “yes” or “no.” You often go back and forth discussing pros and cons, battling with different versions of yourself.
For instance, the indulgent me often struggles with the foodie me. One side says, “be conscious of the foods you eat,” while the other screams “CAKE.” That one usually wins.
This Zillow ad takes this concept and runs with it.

Susan, the woman featured in the ad, talks through selling her home and buying a new one with the various versions of herself, including Negative Susan, Spontaneous Susan, and Paranoid Susan.
The second best part of the ad – the first is when Late Susan sneaks into the meeting – is when Lazy Susan brings up the hassle of going through that process. Helpful Susan then brings up how Zillow is the solution to this issue.
What Zillow has accomplished here is tackle the objections consumers typically have about real estate in a relatable way. By understanding how their audience thinks and what they struggle with, they made an ad that was engaging and relevant.
5. AT&T: “Say Goodbye to Awkward Chats”

Bad video connection? We’ve all been there.
The person you’re video chatting with starts buffering and frozen for seconds at a time. After you’ve taken the embarrassing screenshot, it stops being funny and you wonder how long it’s going to last.
AT&T takes this situation one step further.

The ad shows a new mom introducing her sister to her newborn. Unfortunately, just as the baby reaches the screen, the aunt’s signal lags and causes her to freeze as her face shows disgust.
The sister inevitably mistakes the sister’s facial expressions regarding the internet and takes it to mean something about her baby.
In just 30 seconds, the ad takes something that happens in everyday life and turns it into an ad.
Moral of the story: You don’t always have to go far to create a great ad. There are great ads that come from the seemingly mundane parts of our lives.
6. Masterclass: “Chris Voss Teaches the Art of Negotiation”

Masterclass’ top viewed video on YouTube is an ad for one of their masterclasses: the art of negotiation.
Despite having other videos that feature more household names, this seems to be the video that captured most viewers’ attention.
Some will argue it’s the content, and they may be right. I think it’s the formula they used.

From the second this ad starts, it sucks you in with the statement: “Everything in life is a negotiation.” From there, you’re immersed in the world of the subject and narrator.
The reason this ad is so powerful is that it answers the most important question: Why should I care?
It tells viewers exactly how this relates to them, how they would benefit from it, and how they can use it in their daily life.
Unless your ad is product-focused, it should give them the answer to those questions.
7. Travelers Insurance: “Legacy”

It wouldn’t be a top 10 YouTube ad list without an insurance company listed, right?
Insurance companies are notorious for taking the funny route for commercials. Because how else do you market a product that’s only needed in the event of something terrible?
Travelers Insurance did something different with this YouTube ad.

The brand told the story of a businessman passing his legacy, the family business, to his daughter. And they’re able to do that because they had insurance to rebuild the store following a natural disaster.
Using the concept of legacy isn’t something we’ve seen much from insurance ads. It’s heartwarming without fearmongering and that’s why it works so well.
8. Bluehost: “Build Beyond Boundaries”

When it comes to generating buzz for your product or service, showing is better than telling.
In 55 seconds, Bluehost delivered a fantastic ad that covered the brand’s top features without overwhelming the viewer.

The ad serves as a mini product demo, showcasing how easy it is to use using a fictional website concept. Here’s why it works:

The viewer leaves knowing how it works and what are some top features.
The video includes rich media to keep viewers engaged.

If you’re interested in creating a media-rich ad like this, consider the audio and video content platform, Casted. 
9. The General Auto: “The Lunchroom”

For years, The General had commercials that many consumers thought were low-quality. In their 2021 ad, the brand came with a fresh new look.

This ad starts with two men approaching former athlete Shaq in a lunchroom as he eats with a young friend. They reference a previous conversation in which they disagreed with Shaq about The General and refused to sit with him.
They acknowledge that they “misjudged them based on their commercials” then ask for forgiveness, plus a seat at his lunch table.
Now more than ever, consumers crave transparency. This was a great move for the brand because it addressed the elephant in the room.
The General realized their ads were contributing to (or causing) a negative perception of their brand. Instead of quietly rebranding, they took the objection and tackled it head-on, weaving it into their new ad campaigns.
The messaging is clear: Our brand is still trustworthy and credible despite our old ads.
So, if there’s a misconception about your brand, don’t be afraid to use that in your next campaign.
So, there you have it – the top YouTube ads of the last two years. What they all have in common is a deep understanding of their audience’s needs, behaviors, and own perceptions of the brand.

In 2018, 63% of consumers surveyed in an Accenture study revealed that they preferred to shop from purpose-driven brands. Fast forward to 2021 and that sentiment has only grown.
IBM ran a study in 2020 on consumer behavior and found that 57% of consumers are willing to change their shopping habits to be more environmentally conscious. In the same study, nearly eight of out 10 respondents stated that sustainability is important to them.

So, how does a brand leverage sustainable marketing to appeal to a growing, socially conscious audience? We’ll cover that and more below.
Green Marketing vs. Sustainable Marketing
While both terms are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between green marketing and sustainability marketing.
Green marketing focuses on strategies that promote environmental awareness and protection. Sustainable marketing, on the other hand, is a little broader.
It encompasses green marketing but it also includes practices that go beyond the environment, like social and economic issues.
1. Have a larger purpose.
Brands typically judge their success by the numbers. How much revenue they have or will generate in any given period is usually the biggest indicator of success.
Sustainability shifts this perspective by having brands evaluate themselves by something bigger than profit.
As a brand, you have to promote something that’s bigger than your products and services and transcends any particular industry.
Do you have a clear social mission? If not, spend time discovering what that is and how your brand plays a role in furthering that mission.
For instance, fashion brand Autumn Adeigbo sells clothing, accessories, and home decor items. However, its mission, as stated on its website, is to impact the lives of women on a global scale. They do so by using female-owned production facilities, employing female artisans, among other practices.
2. Think ahead.
Sustainability marketing is all about building long-term value.
Too often, brands focus on gaining immediate returns. For instance, many marketing tactics like running Google Ads and blogging are great lead generators.
However, what happens once your lead has made a purchase and turned into a customer? How will you build loyalty and create brand evangelists?
Sustainable marketing looks at ways to nurture consumers during the entire buyer’s journey.
Education is one way to build loyalty with your audience early on. From when they first discover you on social media to after they’ve made a purpose.
For instance, a food brand could educate its audience on the importance of ethical farming on social media and continue this process post-purchase with package recycling tips.
3. Be customer-oriented.
You might be thinking, “Isn’t being consumer-oriented what all marketing is? ”
Ideally, yes but that’s not always the case.
In traditional marketing, a brand will often try to push a product or service to a customer. With consumer-oriented marketing, it’s more about understanding your customers’ needs and tailoring your marketing to that.
For instance, say your audience is craving more transparency in your sourcing practices or want you to be more vocal on social issues. You could use that information for your next campaign.
With so much competition out there, one way to stay customer-oriented is by innovating.
We’ve all heard the Blockbuster and Netflix cautionary tale. But that speaks to a huge societal shift that Blockbuster was unwilling to make.
But the truth is, innovation doesn’t always have to be so big. It can happen in small iterations – the key here is staying in touch with your audience’s needs.
4. Reflect sustainability in every aspect of your brand.
Sustainability marketing doesn’t work if it’s not authentic.
Imagine finding out a business that claims to be sustainable has failed to implement any practices to promote its mission. Consumers would distrust that brand and it would be difficult to earn it back.
Make sure your brand is looking at sustainability from a holistic lens.
Are you preaching about sustainability but use unsustainable resources to build your product? Are you collaborating with brands that conflict with your mission? Is your team representative of the future you want to promote?
These are the questions you should ask to determine if your brand reflects the mission you’ve set out to achieve. Identify the areas that need work and go to the drawing board to figure out strategies that align with your mission.
Audiences don’t expect perfection, they do, however, value transparency. It’s OK – and recommended – to share where you currently fall short and how you plan to remedy these issues.
Sustainable Marketing Examples
1. Pangiai

Materials science company, Pangiai, wants to save the environment.
Every piece of marketing the brand puts out is centered around this core mission, including this video campaign.

In it, the brand explains its mission to “reverse the cycle from the unnatural to natural, from plastic to plants […], from the new to the recycled.”
What’s effective about this ad is that Pangiai describes the future they want to see and outlines the strategies it will implement to get there.
Throughout the ad, you see Pangiai products but they’re not the focus. This tells viewers the mission drives the products, not the other way around — and that’s sustainable marketing done right.
2. Nada Duele

In the previous section, we discussed the importance of having a holistic approach to sustainability marketing.
With Nada Duele, their mission is reflected in everything: from their name, which represents the idea that products should not cause harm, to the initiatives they take part in.

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When you visit their “How We Work” section, you learn about their collaboration with a Guatemalan institute dedicated to protecting the forestry sector.
It’s important that the partnerships your brand takes on align with your values. Otherwise, you risk losing credibility and trust.
3. Satya + Sage

Social media is one of the best and easiest ways to implement a sustainable marketing strategy.
You can share a range of content, from educating your followers on sustainable practices to sharing ways your brand is being sustainable.
In this example from candle company Satya + Sage, they share tips on how to use the seed paper that comes with every candle.

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On social media, in particular, pay attention to the questions your followers ask and the comments they make, as that can inform which marketing strategies you test in the future.
Why is sustainable marketing important?
Sustainability is a topic that has gained a lot of traction as of late, however, research shows it transcends age.
The 2020 IBM study on consumer behavior revealed that while Millennials are the most interested in sustainability awareness, Boomers (and all consumers in between) strongly consider it when choosing brands.
As a result, even if your brand isn’t rooting in this mission, you will still find value in investing time and resources in sustainable practices and marketing to attract more customers.

Hi All, I am looking a best Marketing CRM solution for an estate agency UK. The company has a salesforce and custom built CRM, so new marketing CRM system needs to be integrated with Salesforce. Please recommend which system to go for and why? Thanks
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​ In this era of digital transformation, it has become clear that people buy experiences, not products. Account-based marketing (ABM), a method traditionally focused on the accounts that will drive the most revenue, is picking up steam, and it’s proving to be an effective B2B marketing strategy to generate revenue and increase ROI Indeed, a whopping 99% of marketers say ABM has a higher ROI than other marketing initiatives. Last year, more than one-third (35.9%) of marketers surveyed said that at least half of their marketing is account-based. In the next year, the majority of B2B marketers expect ABM (49%) to have the most significant impact on their business outcomes However, marketers are still struggling to fully unlock the potential of ABM because their current approach creates random customer interactions and one-off campaigns. These initiatives bring in short-term results and lack in establishing long-lasting customer loyalty.
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