Advertisers would do well to take note: there's no way to beat the celebrity selfie.
A toddler dressed as Darth Vader, a barrier-shattering message about gender stereotypes and a bulked-up action movie star effortlessly straddling the gap between two moving semi-trucks -- all pale in the shadow of the blinding starpower that's unleashed when Lionel Messi and Kobe Bryant get together to stretch out their long, long arms with a smartphone and take pictures of themselves.
A 2014 Turkish Airlines commercial in which the two sports legends playfully battle it out for the best selfie was crowned the top ad of the YouTube age, based on a popular vote between 20 hugely popular nominees. The video-hosting giant teamed with the Webby Awards to make the list in honor of its 10-year anniversary.
The top ad was the least critically lauded of the otherwise award-winning campaigns, but by far the most watched, clocking in at 140 million. Trailing behind it in second place was a three-foot Star Wars villain who masters the force to lock his dad's Volkswagen, to the tune of 62 million views. Procter & Gamble's Always, Volvo and Dove ads finished out the top five.
YouTube attempted to explain the viral success of the ads by pulling out ten trends.
Its top three tips: Be authentic, make it interactive and work with experts who live and breathe YouTube.
1. Turkish Airlines: "Kobe vs. Messi: The Selfie Shootout"
Views: 140 million
2. Volkswagen: "The Force"
Views: 62 million
3. Always: "#LikeAGirl"
Views: 57 million
4. Volvo Trucks: "The Epic Split feat. Van Damme"
Views: 79 million
5. Dove: "Real Beauty Sketches"
Views: 65 million