March was a good month for newcomers to YouTube and Adweek's monthly Ads Leaderboard. At the same time, it was a good month to feel inadequate in any position but No. 1.
That's because a certain soft-drink maker teamed up with a certain racecar driver to obliterate Leaderboard records last month—earning in just a couple of weeks some 33 million views, or about 13 million more than 2012's top-performing spot did for the entire year. Hats off to a one-of-a-kind phenomenon.
Elsewhere on the Leaderboard last month, Samsung continued its hot streak, placing two videos on the list—neither one a traditional spot. Chevrolet also returned with a spot previewed in the earlier "Find New Roads" anthem clip.
Otherwise, there are a load of fresh faces this time around, including the first Leaderboard appearance by a nonprofit, coming in at No. 9.
The view counts are as of April 5. To be eligible for the YouTube Ads Leaderboard, videos must be marked as ads on YouTube (i.e., they get some paid views) but must also earn significant organic views. See all 10 spots at the link below.