A version of this article was originally published in Forbes. In it, Anne Marie Nelson-Bogle, VP of ads marketing at YouTube, examines the most successful YouTube ads of the year and what Gemini-powered insights can teach marketers about pushing the boundaries of the platform.
Every year, we at YouTube love to look back at the top-performing ads of the past 12 months to showcase the brand creativity that shapes our culture. 2024 was no different — except for one thing. This year, we had Gemini help us out by examining over 13,000 of this year’s most successful ads from around the world to learn what really makes them stand out from the pack.
Poring over Gemini’s insights, the most striking thing we discovered about these ads was the depth and variety of creative storytelling on display. That’s because YouTube offers few restrictions on format, length, and style — as well as the ability to tap into passionate fandoms.
But no matter how they told their stories, brands used YouTube to connect meaningfully and authentically with their audiences, resulting in a diverse, compelling set of ads that could only exist on this platform. Let’s take a look at some of the video advertising strategies they used to tell better stories — and how you can too.
Embrace creative freedom on YouTube
Historically, where there were ads, there were creative constraints on those ads. Case in point: time limits. No matter the platform, it’s still unusual to see ads longer than 30 seconds. But those constraints can be stifling, often forcing advertisers to stick to predictable storytelling beats that have worked in the past, resulting in ads that can feel generic.
YouTube offers brands the freedom to tell the stories they want to tell, no matter what format they use or how long it takes to tell them, whether it’s eight seconds or eight minutes. As Gemini revealed, 44% of the top YouTube ads we analysed from this year, including Shorts and those in-stream, differed from traditional ad length (15, 30, and 60 seconds). Plus, 52% of Shorts and in-stream ads from this year were over 15 seconds long. In other words, YouTube is the home of short-form and long-form storytelling.
Brands capitalised on this freedom, experimenting with form and telling rich, distinctive stories that found new ways to inspire audiences. Volvo Cars demonstrated its new car’s safety features in this moving four-minute film. Meanwhile, Louis Vuitton set up a lively 11-minute conversation between its fashion director and actor Emma Stone, nabbing a 20% higher watch time than the industry average.
On the other hand, many brands, like Glossier, Quaker, and Temu, are coming to YouTube Shorts to tell their stories in just a few seconds. But Shorts ads don’t always have to be short. In fact, brands as disparate as Spanx and Apple saw incredible success with ads that ran nearly a minute or more. It’s little wonder that YouTube Shorts ads are viewed longer, are more “liked,” and are seen as more personally relevant than ads on TikTok.1
Make ads that don’t feel like ads
With fewer restrictions on the types of stories you can tell and how you tell them, the line separating ads and content is blurring more every day. Our platform allows brands the space to experiment in ways that wouldn’t work elsewhere.
Gen Z, in particular, prizes authenticity, so they’re drawn to ads where they don’t feel like they’re being sold something. To that end, brands often featured creators to signal that authenticity. According to Gemini, these creator-driven ads often use interactive elements and lo-fi production to connect with their viewers on a fundamental level. And that connection builds trust: 98% of viewers say they trust YouTube creators more than creators on other social media platforms.2 By leveraging this rapport, brands can build affinity with new audiences.
Pepsi, for instance, appealed to barbecue fans with cooking creator ArnieTex, and Old Spice had creator Reza Khan speak to new fathers. Meanwhile, Urban Decay worked with YouTube beauty creators Kelly Strack and Ashley LaMarca to promote the return of its Naked eye shadow palette, leading to a 3% increase in purchase intent and a 278% increase in searches.
In general, the top-performing ads had a DIY feel that fit right in with a viewer’s favorite YouTube content. For example, Doritos, ClearScore, and Parachute all leaned into trends across YouTube to make Shorts that felt fresh, offering the viewer something entertaining or informative.
And, interestingly, Gemini identified a few filmmaking trends that play well in the digital space. Visual-driven storytelling, dynamic editing, tight framing, extreme close-ups, quick pacing — these were all common tactics used by brands like Google, The North Face, and Samsung. Across Samsung’s whole campaign launch, YouTube drove a 6% lift in brand searches.
Tapping into fandoms is your key to being part of the cultural conversation
YouTube is where the excitement of mass culture meets the passion of creator culture, where K-pop and Coachella sit right alongside GRWM and ASMR. Whatever you’re interested in, there are entire galaxies of content surrounding it on YouTube.
Fans don’t just watch their favorite content here. They form communities and create their own videos — reacting, analysing, you name it. And that’s important to keep in mind: 54% of Gen Z fans surveyed agree that they are part of a fandom that no one they know personally is a part of.3
So it’s not surprising to see brands of all sizes and markets find success by engaging their audience’s passions. Coke appealed to K-pop stans; Sephora offered tips to Coachella attendees; NFL tapped into the fervent following of The Sims; Sony joined forces with creators to promote the new Venom movie, while McDonald’s created its very own anime.
Understandably, the Paris Olympics proved to be one of the most popular events for advertisers this year. For example, Omega imagined Paris as a playground for Olympic athletes, while other brands, such as Nike and Volkswagen, sought to inspire athletes rather than explicitly mention The Games.
Some brands took fan engagement to a whole new level. KitchenAid used a customer’s review to create a memorable song for their ad, gathering a lot of interest from YouTube's music community.
Meanwhile, marketers at CeraVe collaborated with creators, including Haley Kalil, to generate excitement for its Super Bowl spot, which promoted its dermatologist-recommended bona fides. Using YouTube, CeraVe made this campaign — which freely blended creator and studio content with long-form and short-form video — land with a cultural splash that won multiple Cannes Lions.
No matter the approach, this year’s top YouTube ads ultimately come back to one theme: connection. Of course, every brand seeks to connect with its intended audience. But on YouTube, they’re allowed to try new things and tell more distinctive stories, resulting in richer, lasting connection.
It’s a new era of creativity. The future belongs to brands that experiment with style, embrace creative storytelling that transcends format, and tap into YouTube’s culture and its creators. These are the ads that forge deeper connections with audiences, earn loyalty, and drive results. And this is ultimately what separates a YouTube ad from those on other platforms.
Ready to break the mold and elevate your advertising? Explore a playlist of these ads for inspiration, and unleash the creative possibilities for your brand.
