You’ve heard of CHANEL No. 5, yes? Perhaps that’s because this luxury brand is doing all the right things when it comes to marketing (and YouTube video).  This week, our Branded YouTube Videos of the Week series continues this week with five new Pixability video picks.
Pixability is full of YouTube-Certified experts who know the ins and outs of what makes a great YouTube video tick. Every Friday, we’ll share the strengths and areas where there is room for improvement for five YouTube videos produced by brands, along with key takeaways to help you guide future production and optimization strategies for YouTube.
1. Netflix: I’ll Be There For You – Friends

  • Why it works: Reminisces on the beloved TV show, Friends, by bringing back memories of Central Park, Gunther, and, of course, the Friends theme song, “I’ll Be There for You.” The video snares viewers excited to relive those moments and introduces them to Netflix 2015.
  • Areas for improvement: Most people are only familiar with the first minute of the Friends song and might not watch much further than that. End card annotations could link to clips from Friends for those unfamiliar with the show.
  • Key Takeaways: Everybody loves a throwback, and Netflix chose a unique angle to promote the show instead of providing a trailer composed simply of clips from a mish-mash of episodes.

2. Chanel: CHANEL N°5: The One That I Want – The Film

  • Why it works: Since Nicole Kidman’s Chanel No. 5 video in 2005, these iconic films have been widely viewed and are recognized for their celebrity leading ladies as well as their visuals. High anticipation of this video on social media guaranteed even more views for Chanel.
  • Areas for improvement: Well, viewers are left with many questions…but, this will only increase engagement.
  • Key Takeaways: Large budgets and loyal audiences help view counts tremendously. Videos that exceed expectations keep viewers coming back.

3. The North Face – The North Face Korea

  • Why it works: The North Face challenges its South Korean customers in a great experiential marketing campaign. This video of people climbing and jumping for free North Face jackets generated more than 5 million views and makes people think about how they’d react in the same situation.
  • Areas for improvement: Even though “viral” videos likes this generate a lot of views and evoke curiosity, serial content as part of a larger YouTube strategy might be more effective.
  • Key Takeaways: Stunt videos are still popular with brands and may get a good amount of views, but it’s difficult to say how effective they are long-term when it comes to boosting sales.

4. McDonald’s: Our food. Your questions. Is McDonald’s beef real?

  • Why it works: The video does a good job of informing viewers about how McDonald’s hamburgers are made while still seeming authentic. McDonald’s gets viewers to interact with the video and the end card gives viewers ample time to decide what else they want to know about the process.
  • Areas for improvement: The annotations are useful and add value to the video, but could be used less frequently if desired.
  • Key takeaways: McDonald’s content effectively sheds a positive light on its beef products that have recently been scrutinized in the media.

5. Android: Be Together. Not the Same.

  • Why it works: This video runs through just about everything viewers love in a video (awkward throwback photos, nostalgia, cute kids, civil rights, ice bucket challenge clips, etc.) in order to show that Android is great because of its differentiated products.
  • Areas for improvement: There isn’t much branding or product information in the video, but that also keeps viewers from feeling like they’re being sold to.
  • Key takeaways: A brand that capitalizes on its unique advantages instead of directly attacking competitors seems much more authentic to viewers.