Top 10 most-watched Indian ads on YouTube in April 2020

As per the Vidooly report, 'Airtel Number Online Recharge Kaise Kare' bagged the top spot, followed by Asian Paints' 'Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai'.

As the COVID-19 crisis continues, Indian ads on YouTube underwent various changes. Right from adding 'stay home, stay safe' clause in content, to ensuring that ads are properly created, curated and promote more safety precautions, and at the same time, don’t hurt anyone.

Despite the unfortunate conditions, brands have managed to make a mark on the popular video-sharing platform this time, with a completely different narrative.

Most loved brands like Cadbury and Asian Paints have conceptualised ads based on homes to resonate with the ongoing 'stay at home' culture.

Note:

· Only advertisements published on YouTube in April 2020 are considered.

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

· All ads are as per the tracking done through Vidooly's advertisement search engine.

· All the stats here are updated on May 5, 2020.

1. Airtel Number Online Recharge Kaise Kare

Airtel India has ensured that all its customers currently at home are able to easily get their numbers recharged online. Due to the lockdown, consumers have been spending a lot of time on their smartphones, but getting the packs recharged was still a hassle for many. Therefore, through this ad, Airtel has ensured that everyone is able to do it from the comfort of their homes. The ad is a simple step by step explanatory video that teaches viewers to get recharges done online with multiple modes of payment gateway. With over 59 million views, this ad tops the list for the month of April.

2. Asian Paints Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai - #StayHomeStaySafe

Asian Paints came up with this nostalgic and sentimental advertisement. It has utilised sensory and emotional marketing to the most by featuring ordinary people at their homes. The ad features small poetic anecdotes. It talks about the many minute details of people in a family staying together. Obviously, it ends with a clear message, ‘stay home, stay safe’, which luckily favours the brand’s main tagline ‘Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai’.

3. The making of an expert ft. Vicky Kaushal | #ExpertForAnExpert | #OPPOReno3 Pro

Launching one of its best smartphones, i.e., the Reno3 Pro, OPPO India came up with this smart ad, featuring actor Vicky Kaushal, of ‘Uri’ fame. In the ad, he describes the struggles of soldiers in battalions and their preparation via references to the life of an actor, who rehearses, practices, goes through challenges, acts and captures moments. Kaushal talks about how perfection needs preparation. Throughout the one-minute-fifty-seven-second ad, he is seen using the handset to click pictures with his colleagues around bonfires at night, as they all share food and other moments. This engaging ad stands third on the list, with over 40 million views.

4. We are doing everything to bring MAGGI to you!

Nestle’s most popular product Maggie has a YouTube channel of its own, namely Meri Maggi. This ad is dedicated to all Maggi lovers, whose cooperation and support is sought for the factory workers during these harsh times. The ad shows factories and workers, who’re standing with placards. The message on the placards is a reminder for everyone to stay at home as they prepare Maggi noodles, which is a go-to food in many households these days. The ad is sweet, simple and transparent, with no frills at all.

5. OnePlus 8 Series - Coming April 14th | HyperTaskers Welcome!

OnePlus India plays smart with this ad for its hyper-tasking consumers. Keeping the current generation and their regular use of smartphones in mind, the company has targeted the younger generation in particular. The description says it is a homage to hyper-taskers, who swiftly change roles and fit into a dynamic way of using technology. The ad basically shows how quickly people shift from playing online games to checking stock markets, from singing to kick-boxing and swiping apps to ordering meals. The OnePlus 8 series helps them keep pace and catch up with everything. Gone are the days of multi-taskers, it is all about hyper-taskers now. The ad is beautifully planned to showcase the speed and fast performance of the newly launched model.

6. Asian Paints Har Ghar Chup Chap Se Kehta Hai

This is part of the same campaign by Asian Paints, where it talks about how homes feel good when everyone stays in together. The same concept, but with different situations, where one can see children playing, mothers take care, siblings singing together, new fathers cuddling their babies, pets playing around and everyone helping each other. The message is simple, and the brand yet again asks viewers to stay at home with their families.

7. OnePlus 8 Series - Beautiful to Behold

The ad is a minimalistic representation of how the latest OnePlus 8 series looks and feels. With a regular jingle playing in the background, it showcases an aqua blue handset from several angles, along with its features and texture.

8. Every home tells a sweet story

Cadbury Dairy Milk India launched this ad, which is related to the ongoing lockdown. It shows, among other things, students graduating at home, 50^th anniversary celebrations, couples expecting babies, and families connecting online during these hard times. The brand promotes the message of ‘stay home, stay safe’, with a nice jingle playing in the background. Throughout the ad, Dairy Milk is shown to play a small part in happiness all around.

9. New Santoor Logo

Short, crisp, simple and straight. Santoor is a well-known soap brand that is mostly known for its innovative ads. In this 10-second ad, the brand has depicted a neat logo change to promote the message of social distancing. The message, ‘let’s stay apart to stand together’.

10. SBI Card – Ghar mein Khushiyan

‘Stay home, stay safe’ has become the go-to slogan for all these brands during the ongoing lockdown. SBI Cards has made this short clip that shows how it has helped fulfil the wishes of its customers over the years. It's time for the customers to make good use of those purchases in creating everlasting memories during this lockdown, and also spend maximum time with their families. Truly a beautiful and emotional way of promoting ‘stay home, stay safe’, as well as also touching on the value offered by SBI Cards.