By Subrat KarPublished: 9 Jan 2019, 5:08 IST

Guest Article

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

OnePlus tops the chart.

With the year coming to an end, a lot of brands in the country launched advertising campaigns to either focus on their new products or for a healthy brand building practice. The month of December is a festive month thanks to universally hyped occasions like Christmas and New Year’s Eve marking opportunities for marketers to capitalise on. Last month, the OnePlus 6T featured on December’s list in the top two positions of the most watched Indian Ads on YouTube in 2018. The other ads in the report are a mix of various categories including automobile launches, offers and more.

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

Subrat Kar

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

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

• Only advertisements launched in December of 2018 are considered.

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

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

1. OnePlus 6T With Google Lens - Know The Streets

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

To promote their flagship product, the OnePlus 6T, the brand launched an advertising campaign in collaboration with Google Lens. The Google Lens technology blends well with the features of the handset and allows the user to experience travel in a new manner.

The advertisement is visually pleasing with stunning, picturesque locations being explored by a OnePlus 6T owner using the Google Lens feature to search the streets. So far, the ad has garnered more than 55.2 million views and stands at the premier position of the top 10 most watched Indian ads on YouTube in December 2018.

2. OnePlus 6T With Google Lens - The Explorer

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

OnePlus’ collaboration with Google Lens had a series of advertisements as a part of the campaign strategy and another ad film by the brand also found its way to the second spot on the list of top 10 most watched Indian ads on YouTube in December 2018 with over 38.9 million views.

This advertisement differs slightly from the previous in terms of visuals, but the underlying theme remains the same where a traveller is able to use Google Lens on their OnePlus 6T to discover more.

3. New Nissan Kicks. The Intelligent Suv. Bookings Open

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

This month Nissan opened bookings for their New Nissan KICKS. The automobile comes with First-in-Class Around View Monitor, Class-Leading Ground Clearance - 210mm, Best-in-Class 8-inch Touch Floating Infotainment System with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The advertisement campaign’s tagline is - “Get ready to own the Intelligent SUV”. The visuals showcase the car’s features in brief. With more than 26.2 million views, it’s at the third spot on the list of top 10 most watched Indian ads on YouTube in December 2018.

4. HUL, Start a little good – Water

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

Hindustan Unilever’s campaigns tend to incorporate social messages sometimes and in December, a campaign called “Start A Little Good” was initiated with the belief that even small efforts can have a large positive impact. This advertisement focuses on saving/conserving water and advocates the simple act of turning off a tap.

It compares how an entire village’s thirst can be quenched with the same amount of water used by an urban dweller for bathing. The advertisement has garnered more than 24.6 million views putting it at the fourth spot of the top 10 most watched Indian ads on YouTube in December 2018.

5. New NESCAFE GOLD | For the Moments that Matter

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

NESCAFE GOLD is a premium product vertical which aims to provide coffee at its best, crafted by experts. The brand ensures that quality beans are selected by masters to create the finest roasts and blends, giving you that perfect cup of rich taste and aroma.

The advertisement is quite an interesting and emotional take on signifying the various kinds of relationships a person withholds in their lifetime and how coffee is what eventually brings them together. It garnered more than 21.5 million views, setting it firmly on the fifth spot of the top 10 most watched Indian ads on YouTube in December 2018.

6. MakeMyTrip presents MMTDOUBLEBLACK - 100% Free Cancellation on Flights & Hotels | 40s TVC

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

Ever since MakeMyTrip got Bollywood superstars Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt on board as their ambassadors, rather interesting campaigns have been launched frequently. However, this new campaign features only Ranveer.

The ad was crafted to introduce a new feature called MMTDOUBLEBLACK which allows users to get 100 per cent free cancellations on flights and hotels. It garnered more than 15.5 million views which positions it at the sixth spot of the top 10 most watched Indian ads on YouTube in December 2018.

7. PhonePe - Pay at store (Hindi 20secs)

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

PhonePe is an App that allows digital transactions at stores near you and gives you a chance to get some cashback too. This ad, focusing on the cashback feature, showcases a customer who cheekily makes a store payment via the app, avails of the chasback offer and pockets the cash he borrowed from his friend.

This crisp advertisement has garnered more than 11.8 million views so far and stands on the seventh spot of the top 10 most watched Indian ads on YouTube in December 2018.

8. Don’t fit-in. Choose custom-fit. Watch this video to know how (Hindi)

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

The concept of the advertising campaign is to advocate the practice that EMIs can’t hold you back from owning your perfect car thanks to HDFC Bank’s Custom Fit Car Loans with unique and flexible EMI options. The advertisement is a tongue-in-cheek conversation between two toy cars wondering if their owners will ever be able to purchase an actual vehicle that accommodates the large family.

This has garnered more than 11.6 million views and stands on the eight spot of the top 10 most watched Indian ads on YouTube in December 2018.

9. Kit Kat | Perfect Break

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

In the life’s daily hustle, Kit Kat, since its creation, has been urging people to take a break - more so, a Kit Kat break. This new advertising campaign is along the same lines maintaining the on-going theme.

The advertisement is a quick look at how you can take the perfect Kit Kat break with supporting audio crunches for a wholesome effect. It has garnered more than 11.6 million views and stands on the ninth spot of the top 10 most watched Indian ads on YouTube in December 2018.

10. Free Waterproof Shower Radio with TRESemme | TRESemme India

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

TRESemmé now makes it easier for you to groove while you shower with its new freebie product - the Designer Shower Radio with its Shampoo bottle.

The advertisement focuses on promoting this new freebie with thrilling visuals. It has garnered more than 10.5 million views so far and stands on the tenth spot of the top 10 most watched Indian ads on YouTube in December 2018.

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

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