The Top 10 Most Watched Indian Ads on YouTube in July 2018

In the Indian YouTube advertising space, the month of July saw a mix of enticing smartphone product launches by brands like Samsung, Motorola and OPPO amidst a few e-commerce portal ads by Jabong and Flipkart.

Subrat Kar

The top viewed advertisement for this month was the 20 year celebratory brand story by Hyundai which managed to garner a whopping 107 million views in this short duration, proving the massive power of storytelling in today's digital age. It was followed by two major advertisements by Samsung which featured two new products - the Galaxy On6 and Galaxy J8. Not very often do we find two advertisements from the same brand making it to the Top 10 list. The remaining advertisements from Pulsar, NEXA and Maggi were the surprise elements of this month's top ranking list.

Here are the advertisements that generated the most viewership for the month for July 2018:

NOTE - All the stats here are updated on July 31st, 2018.

• Only advertisements launched in July of 2018 are considered.

• The list does not include ads (about the video content) by other content provider platforms like Netflix India, Amazon Prime Video and Hotstar.

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

1. Hyundai | Celebrating 20 Years of Brilliant Moments | Duty

For the past two months the iconic automobile brand has been celebrating its 20 years of #BrilliantMoments with heart-warming brand films. In June, they showcased a well-received 'Hyundai Accent' story pertaining to childhood memories and family bonds. In July, they came up with yet another emotional story featuring the Santro. The ad showcased the priceless moment when a stranger goes out of their way to help someone in need.

The story is narrated by an army official who fondly remembers his Kargil days just because a patriotic stranger decided to help him get to work on time in his Santro. Hyundai also urges their customers to send such stories related to the Santro, Accent or i10 so that they can convert them into feature films and also give away prizes. The advertisement was so successful that it garnered 107 million views putting it firmly in the first spot of the top advertisements on YouTube in India for the month of July.

2. Tiger Shroff is #AlwaysOn his Samsung Galaxy On6 with its Infinity Display

Samsung launched its new smartphone, the Galaxy On6 featuring Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff. The smartphone has some new and exciting features such as a stunning Super AMOLED 5.6" Infinity Display, a Sleek Unibody Design, Seamless Performance with 4GB RAM and 64GB of Storage, along with brilliant 13MP (Rear) and 8MP (Front f/1.9) Low-Light cameras, Face Unlock, and the innovative Chat Over Video.

The campaign was launched using the #AlwaysOn hashtag which was symbolic of the fact that this smartphone will keep you 'always on' no matter what. The advertisement is simple and shows Tiger glued to his smartphone even while trying to dress. This mix of star power and new product features gave the advertisement more than 32 million views putting it in the second spot of the top advertisements on YouTube in India for the month of July.

3. Samsung Galaxy J8 TVC - To Infinity & More

Along with the launch of the Galaxy On6, Samsung also continued promotions for yet another new smartphone in the series - the Galaxy J8. This smartphone features a 6'' Super AMOLED Infinity Display, advanced #DualRearCamera, Chat Over Video and many other features. The device is designed to take your smartphone experience #ToInfinityAndMore.

The advertisement is only 30 seconds long, but it's enough to showcase all product features in a visually appealing way. With more than 25 million views, it stands on the third spot of the top advertisements on YouTube in India for the month of July.

4. 1 Crore Pulsars. Join the tribe. - Pulsar TVC

With more than 1 crore Pulsars being sold, the brand released an advertisement urging bikers to #JoinTheTribe of Pulsar maniacs. The advertisement is short and thrilling as it brings to life the concept of Pulsar City, filled with roads that look impossible to ride on unless you're a stunt rider.

Throughout the ad, you'll find bikers performing stunts on their Pulsars to get to their destinations. With more than 24 million views, it stands on the fourth spot of the top advertisements on YouTube in India for the month of July.

5. Moto E5 Plus | Big Battery. Big Screen. Big Entertainment

Motorola also launched its new smartphone - the Moto E5 Plus - with amazing features such as a 6", 18:9 Max Vision Display and a massive 5000 mAh battery that lets you enjoy up to 18 hours* of video playback, up to 200 hours* of music playback and more. Plus, the 10W rapid charger gives you hours of power in just minutes so there's nothing stopping you. The device is for you to say #HelloEntertainment!

The advertisement shows people struggling with low battery on their smartphones and a girl with the Moto E5 coming to their rescue for non-stop entertainment on her handset's big screen with its long battery life. With more than 22 million views, it stands on the fifth spot of the top advertisements on YouTube in India for the month of July.

6. Jabong Big Brand Sale | #OutOfTheWorld | 27th - 30th July

E-commerce sales are always exciting for customers to grab branded products at low costs, but their announcements are even more so as each site tries to stand out and get the buyers attention. Jabong launched its 'Big Brand Sale' lasted from 27th to 30th July which was showcased in a fashion, space odyssey style using the campaign hashtag #OutOfTheWorld.

As the name suggests, the ad had people flying in outer space trying to reach out to various branded products floating all around them. It was well supported by a catchy electronic background score. It garnered more than 20 million views putting it on the sixth spot of the top advertisements on YouTube in India for the month of July.

ALSO READ: The Top 10 Most Watched Indian Ads on YouTube in June 2018

7. NEXA - Create. Inspire.

NEXA's new advertising campaign doesn't directly focus on the automobile and its features, but takes a different road where analogies are made with the cars and the humans who own them. It sets out to find answers to existential questions such as why are we born, what is our purpose and why do we do what we do.

With a powerful monologue, the advertisement answers these questions saying that it's the insatiable quest to be creating that inspires everyone; bringing it full circle to the brand's ideology of 'create and inspire'. It is supported by visuals of people striving towards their varied passions and a soothing background score. With more than 18.6 million views, it stands on the seventh spot of the top advertisements on YouTube in India for the month of July.

8. Where Does Ranbir Kapoor Shop From?

Flipkart has always come up with interesting advertising campaigns, be it for sales or general brand awareness. This time, they roped in Bollywood superstar Ranbir Kapoor to introduce a specific vertical of their products i.e. Flipkart Fashion.

The advertisement continues to feature kids in grown-up avatars, as usual. Since Ranbir is always seen sporting the trendiest clothes, the brand aims to debunk the notion that he does his shopping abroad. Instead, it reveals that Ranbir uses Flipkart Fashion to get clothes from his favourite international brands. The 'India's Fashion Capital' ad garnered more than 18.3 million views putting it at the eighth spot of the top advertisements on YouTube in India for the month of July.

ALSO READ: The Top 10 Most Watched Indian Ads on YouTube in January 2018

9. Presenting MAGGI Kitchen Journeys with Renuka Shahane

MAGGI has come up with their own show that showcases the inspiring stories of women who have harnessed the power of cooking to transform their lives. Called 'MAGGI Kitchen Journeys with #RenukaShahane', episodes started airing from 14th July and will be featured on ZeeTV at 6:30 PM. In order to launch this upcoming TV Show, MAGGI created a short advertisement introducing various talented women to the world.

The ad featured certain snippets of the show where you'll find these women engaging in passionate cooking. The show is certainly a fresh approach to MAGGI's brand presence and is definitely something to look out for. The ad garnered more than 17 million views putting it on the ninth spot of the top advertisements on YouTube in India for the month of July.

10. OPPO Find X - Futuristic symphony of art and technology

According to OPPO, a smartphone of the future is one that moulds both beauty and technology seamlessly. Making that thought a reality OPPO launched its new smartphone the 'Find X' with an awe-inspiring advertisement. The ad features the smartphone's specifications against a very futuristic backdrop which makes it very appealing to watch.

The overlaying monologue gave more weight and shape to the concept of a futuristic smartphone. #OPPOFindX is a powerful device which is achieving possibilities of the future with its mighty features and innovative, advanced technology. The ad garnered more than 16 million views and put it at the tenth spot of the top advertisements on YouTube in India for the month of July.

(The author is co-founder and CEO at Vidooly, a YouTube audience development and analytics firm)