What the world’s most effective video campaigns reveal about the future of creative

With more people streaming video than ever before, there’s no doubt that screens are capturing a greater share of attention. From sports to self-care, viewers are watching more of what matters to them, giving advertisers more opportunities to reach them at their most engaged. Of course, that also means advertisers must stand out in a sea of content.

These brands did just that. Through personalization and participation, they pushed the boundaries of video to connect with people. Their creative campaigns were recognized as part of our YouTube Works Awards, an annual, global celebration of the best campaigns across YouTube that not only captivated audiences, but also generated results. As you think about video creative for your next campaign, consider these lessons from some of the world’s most effective YouTube work.

Let audience insights guide video personalization

People don’t hate ads — just bad ads. And they all have different preferences. Fortunately, personalization doesn’t require producing a million ads for a million different people. It only requires a slight adjustment to better address their needs. So what if, instead of interrupting the viewing experience, ads tailored to each viewer actually complemented it?

Samsung U.S. recently answered this question. Instead of running one-size-fits-all hero creative, the brand took a more personalized approach in its campaign for the new Galaxy Note10. In their research, the marketing team identified three key audience segments: gamers, creators, and entrepreneurs. Then they found each segment’s most-searched “how to” videos — for example, “game tips” for gamers — and created ads with Director Mix that had a similar look and feel to the content people were about to watch. Based on what the viewer needed, each ad showed how the new device could help.