Top 10 most-watched Indian ads on YouTube in May 2020

Nationwide lockdown, never-ending Coronavirus pandemic woes, cyclones, earthquakes, oil spills, etc... If you’re reading this, I hope you’re doing well.

The year 2020 is deemed unlucky for many industries, brands and employees, while a few start-ups, essential services, etc., managed the show. Marketing and advertising channels changed their strategies to fit into the quarantine lifestyle of their audiences to ensure that they’re remembered.

As the lockdown gets extended with every passing month, the consumers have become more dependent on online sources for regular updates, information and entertainment. While social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, have become the busiest, YouTube has witnessed multiple records break in the video marketing and consumption segments.

Right from smartphone manufacturers, banks, to OTTs, everyone has come up with ads involving their take on various relatable topics. Here are the top 10 most-watched Indian ads on YouTube in the month of May that are promotional, engaging, and informative.

Note:

· Only advertisements published on YouTube in May are considered.

· The overall audience sentiment that is mentioned below each advertisement is based on the number of views, likes, dislikes, watch time, and comments.

· All ads are as per the tracking done through Vidooly's advertisement search engine.

· All the stats here are updated on June 5.

1. Shine in Dark with vivo V19 l Available from 15th May

Vivo India’s V19 smartphone advertisement has received over 55 million views and thousands of engagements. It features Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan at a Halloween party where he finds his nephew sitting sadly in his vampire attire. When Khan asks the boy why he is unhappy, the latter points to the phone he has which is unable to click brighter pictures in the dark. The ‘3 Idiots’ star then introduces him to the Vivo V19 model, which has 32MP dual front camera with super night, aura screen light and super wide angle selfie. The boy happily clicks some pictures and goes on to show it to his friend in a witch’s costume. The light-hearted ad has reached a massive audience with its clear information and simple storyline.

2. Naye India Ka Naya Josh - Join Reliance in this New Journey

Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd functions as Jio in India, and is helping the country with its modern ideas and technology-backed services. The ad shows the different industries, segments, and businesses Reliance supports, along with the diversity of the country that it caters to. It is focused on promoting the digital gateways launched to empower the health, education, farming and other important industries of the country. After the adverse impact of the pandemic, the country is in need of advanced technology to balance out the losses. Reliance has JioMart, Jio5G, JioHealthHub, Jio Kisan and other Jio initiatives to back the requirements of ‘new India’, with the tagline ‘Naye India Ka Naya Josh’.

3. iPhone SE - The Opening

Apple India launched iPhone SE with this short ‘unboxing’ ad on YouTube. It features a man ‘unboxing’ the handset with the jingle of ‘Ya Ya’ by Ron Rogers playing in the background. Once out of the box, the man slides the upper plastic cover of the screen in a dramatic way. It surely creates a sense of excitement and interest among viewers, with subtle hints about the small (4.7-inch) screen, top quality video and studio level portrait features, besides long battery life, security options and fastest A13 bionic chip. They all go with the punchline ‘there’s lot of love and less to spend’, making it one of May’s most engaging YouTube ads in India.

4. Gulabo Sitabo - Official Trailer | Amitabh Bachchan, Ayushmann Khurrana | Shoojit, Juhi | June 12

Cinema has always had a big impact on Indian audiences. The audience base has become even larger than before with web series and documentaries on OTT platforms, like Amazon Prime and Netflix. ‘Gulabo Sitabo’ is a dramedy that has Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana playing the role of a landlord and tenant, respectively. The plot turns into a chaos, while both the actors have a ‘Tom and Jerry’ kind of relation. This trailer ad promotes the film’s world premiere date, June 12, 2020 on Amazon Prime. The trailer video, which is hilarious and throws subtle hints about the film, has attracted over 2.71 million viewers.

5. P&G: #ThankYouMa

Tide, one of the most popular brands under Procter & Gamble (P&G), launched this ad on YouTube to commemorate working mothers. The ad features real-life videos of children reading out messages from their mothers, who’re frontline workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, i.e., doctors, nurses, police officers and bankers. The brand salutes the spirit of these women, who’re taking care of their little ones while serving the bigger cause. The heart-warming ad shows women asking their children to wear masks, store sanitary pads, and eat on time, while they continue with their jobs.

6. Sindhutai | From being homeless, to a mother to the homeless – Hindi

Colgate India promotes its brand tagline #SmileKaroAurBasShuruHoJao, with the story of Sindhutai Sapkal. The inspiring tale of this great woman has the power to influence everyone. She became homeless at the age of 20 when her in-laws abandoned her, and her own parents didn’t accept her. The lack of motherly love and affection made her take care for others. Sindhutai turned into a mother to hundreds of children on the road and provided them with the best of everything in life. She proudly talks about how all her children are well-educated and in different professions. Her message is clear: Embrace whatever situation you’re in with a smile, and move on in life by being a ‘giver’. Colgate has achieved over 22 million views with this ad.

7. Airtel | Keeping India Connected

Airtel India launched this informative ad, with a different narrative than the previous month’s to ensure its customers have complete access to the network, despite lockdown. The ad features four different individuals, with their own issues related to the provisions for an easy recharge. Airtel’s online recharge facilities can help customers get their phones charged anywhere, anytime, and without having to step out of their homes.

8. Unlimited ZEE5 with Airtel Thanks App

The iconic Airtel girl is back with this ad. It informs consumers about the tie up between OTT platform ZEE5 and Airtel Thanks App. In the ad, we see the girl talking about how she can surf through over 4,500 movies and shows on her smartphone with Airtel Thanks App. The lockdown has resulted in more people searching for entertainment that is easily accessible. And, what’s better than watching them from the comfort of your own home. Here, the pairing of ZEE5 and Airtel Thanks App has brought the right service for its joint consumer market. The ad is informative, engaging, and has garnered over 20 million views.

9. Parle-G Mother's Day Film

Parle Products has associated its most popular biscuit Parle-G with the Mother’s Day campaign, where it has used a small film of 3:35 minutes as an ad. The biscuit has stayed with all of us since our childhood days, therefore, it can easily connect us with our mothers. The ad features a woman and her son, who spend the best of their life together. She takes care of all his needs, while working as a chef just to fulfil his wishes, and now the son returns to express his gratitude. This ad is very emotional and has a sweet message that will surely leave you in tears.

10. Hum Haar Nahi Maanenge Official Song | A.R. Rahman | Prasoon Joshi | HDFC Bank | Other Artists

HDFC Bank has joined hands with world-class musician A.R. Rahman and lyricist Prasoon Joshi, along with others, to create this musical masterpiece. It is dedicated to the turmoil and chaos prevailing in the country due to pandemic, followed by nationwide lockdown. HDFC Bank promotes the ad on YouTube with the information that it has already donated Rs 150 crore to the PM CARES Fund. It will further donate Rs 500 on each share of the video on three platforms, i.e., YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.