Google today released its YouTube Ads Leaderboard for Pakistan for the year 2018. This list represents the top 10 ads and branded content people chose to watch on YouTube through a combination of popularity and promotion.
According to an Ipsos research, YouTube is the number one online video streaming platform among millennials in Pakistan with it reaching 80 percent of online millennials residing in metro cities in Pakistan. According to another research by Kantar TNS, 73 percent of online Pakistanis watch YouTube every month.
| Brand | Title | Agency |
| Surf Excel | Surf Excel Ramazan 2018 | #EkNekiRozana (1:36) | Mindshare / Lowe & Rauf |
| Goto.com | Kia Pakistan India per baazi lay gaya? (1:44) | Olive Digital |
| Peek Freans | Peek Freans Cake Up | TVC 2018 | Real Rishtey (3:46) | Group M / Ogilvy & Mather |
| Shan Foods | Shan Thematic 2018 – #OneBiryaniOneFamily (5:07) | Mediacom / Ogilvy & Mather |
| Lifebuoy | Dr.Lifebuoy V/S Jaraseem Episode 4 (5:07) | Mindshare / Lowe & Rauf |
| Ariel | Ariel: Oho Nahi, Hoo Hoo (0:55) | Starcom / Adcom Pvt Ltd |
| Nestle | NESTLÉ CERELAC Loree Kahani presents Chanda Mama sung by Ali Noor & Zeb Bangash! (3:50) | Maxus / Ogilvy & Mather |
| Pepsi | Pepsi Battle of the Bands Season 3 (3:40) | Mindshare / Saatchi & Saatchi |
| Coca-Cola | Coke and Music TVC (1:06) | Starcom / Ogilvy & Mather |
| Funn Mitti Se | پنجاب کے رنگ | صبا قمر | عاصم اظہر | فن مٹی سے | Celebrating Punjab Funn Mitti Se (4:59) | Walnut Media |
Key trends from this leaderboard include:
- Made for digital: Unlike in the offline world where space and time is limited, YouTube offers brands and agencies a creative canvas, allowing them as much or as little time as they need to tell their story in whatever form works best for their message. Long-form or short-form works equally well as long as they are engaging, and YouTube ads allow creativity to flow as the narrative requires.
- YouTube works alongside TV: most consumers watch TV and YouTube content at the same time.Instead of thinking of video spend as an either-or split, advertisers should shift toward a digital budget that complements TV strategy. YouTube is a part of many Pakistanis path to purchase now — to research, compare, and talk about products and services before making a purchase. For businesses to succeed, they need to be where consumers are in the moments that matter.
- Millennials spend time on YouTube: many of the ads are catered toward millennials, including those with strong female leads across the ads that populate the leaderboard. People experience YouTube socially, and users watch content together and share videos with other users.
“These trending ads and branded content are a reminder of the amazing creativity alive today in the Pakistani advertising industry. These videos show that it’s not only new technology, but also the art of storytelling that creates a winning combination. YouTube offers brands a creative canvas to tell stories that resonate with consumers in whatever shape best fits them,” said Farhan Qureshi, Regional Head at Google Asia Pacific.