YouTube has named its best advertisement of the decade.
The ad Kobe vs. Messi: The Selfie Shootout, by Turkish Airlines has received the honor based on public vote, and that makes perfect sense. The spot features Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and FC Barecelona’s Lionel Messi, two of the highest profiled and paid athletes on the planet, both of whom have massive North American and international appeal.
Here’s the YouTube description plus the video.
“Basketball star Kobe Bryant and football icon Lionel Messi are back in this epic face-off for selfie supremacy. Armed with cameras and Turkish Airlines – the carrier that flies to more countries than any other – these superstars show up and show off across the globe”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhFqSlvbKAM
The video has been watched more than 140 million times, so to call it a wild success may be an understatement. Based on sheer numbers, it’s one the most popular advertisements in history.
The advertisement was released around the time of the selfie craze, so not only did it feature two big stars, but it capitalized on a huge phenomenon.
The cost of getting Kobe and Messi to appear in this spot would be astronomical, but I’m sure Turkish Airlines more than made up their expense by the sheer amount of publicity it’s received. It was also smart on their part to do some cross-promotion with Lenovo and Samsung as both Kobe and Messi both use their brand of phones.
This ad belongs in the advertisement hall-of-fame.
The other top-five ads to make the cut include The Force: Volkswagen Commercial, Always #LikeAGirl, Volvo Trucks – The Epic Split feat. Van Damme and Dove Real Beauty Sketches | You’re more beautiful than you think. You can watch all of those spots by clicking here.
