Today we celebrate the creativity, advertisers and storytelling that drove Canada’s top 10 video ads this year. From tourism partners to retailers and automakers, Canadian advertisers are constantly turning to YouTube to increase their exposure and engage their audiences and customers. This year we are also seeing advertisers take creative approaches to ad length and production methods. The uniqueness of YouTube means that storytelling is what really makes the difference. A story doesn’t have to be 30 seconds long or a broadcast-level production. It can be disjointed, it can be over a minute long or, in the case of Matty Matheson’s sponsored video, over 7 minutes.

Key themes we saw this year included:

Start with the story. Best practices are important, but creativity – the ideas, the story and the way it is told – is important. There’s no harm in making people laugh and inspiring them to be emotional. The best ads we’ve seen reflect the human experience and inspire. For example, faced with a coverage of local duo Mayfly, The creative style of Bonjour Québec is more of an invitation than an advertisement that makes the magic of the province come alive and invites the viewer to experience it.

Connect with your audience like a creator. People connect with brands that act like creators, creating work that is unique to the platform it runs on, that reflects trends and styles, embraces fandom, and invites conversation and feedback. YETI’s work with Matty Matheson shows that collaborating with YouTubers can be the best way to authentically tell your brand’s story to a new audience.

Create for YouTube, not TV. Storytelling formats and production styles have changed and brands are taking full advantage of YouTube’s unique canvas by combining unconventional lengths and production styles with directions like vertical shorts to achieve greater creative diversity and results. This year, Youth, I’m listening shows us a great example of taking the time to tell the story by airing a nearly five-minute, emotionally charged commercial. And finally we did it RONAis the hilarious Black Friday ad that resonated with Canadian consumers on a level like no other Black Friday ad.

Canadian always likes to have fun. Every year when we publish this list, movie trailers are at the top of the list. Canadians use YouTube to entertain themselves and learn, and movies fulfill both desires. And films also provide an opportunity for adjacent storytelling and creativity. Canadians love movie trailers, but we also love analysis of a topic. We crave information about upcoming films, to know about the plot, behind the scenes, interviews or Easter eggs, and YouTube satisfies all our curiosities around a topic.

Here is the list of the best Canadian ads of 2023 on YouTube. Congratulations to all the advertisers and creatives who made this year’s list!

1. Oppenheimer | New trailer (Universal Photos Canada)
2. Summer in Quebec is full summer (Hello Quebec)
3. lululemon | Men 2023 (lululemon)
4. What I Wouldn’t Do (North Star Calling) – Feel Out Loud Artists Support Kids Help Phone (youth helpline)
5. Hyundai | We do WAH | Hyundai Canada (Hyundai Canada)
6. Black Friday RONA (RONA Inc.)
7. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes | Trailer (20th Century Studios Canada)
8. Celebrating 30 Years of Miracles in Las Vegas | Cirque du Soleil (Cirque du Soleil)
9. primary school | Official trailer (Walt Disney Studios Canada)
10. Soba Noodle Masterclass at Blue Goose Farm | Packed up (MATTY MATHESON)

_{Methodology: The 2023 YouTube Ads Ranking takes organic and paid views, watch time, and audience retention into account. Placement is limited to one ad per brand to better reflect the breadth, quality and popularity of YouTube ads in Canada throughout the year. The reference period for this ranking is October 20, 2022 to December 10, 2023, with advertising activity measured in 2023.}