Happy Star Wars Day! Many of our childhood memories are of the timeless saga that has inspired generations of fans, with many more generations sure to come. A myriad of brands, inspired by Yoda, Darth Vader, and other iconic characters from the franchise, have over the years debuted commercials that have tugged at our hearts or compelled us to chuckle. Some have done such a great job that viewers forgot that they were watching ads, and even compelled millions upon millions of viewers to share the epic videos with friends. In the spirit of May 4th, Unruly Media has debuted via its popular Viral Video Chart the top “Star Wars Themed Ads” for us to revisit.
Used by various publications and brands to determine the latest trending viral videos, the Viral Video Chart, developed and launched by Unruly Media, is a treasure chest showcasing the rankings of the most-shared videos. Note that it’s a chart ranked based on social media shares and not views. Users can freely peruse the videos’ performance metrics, and the chart provides a great indicator of how a video campaign is fairing. For the casual users, the chart can be your ticket to keep up to date with the latest need-to-know clips, trailers, and music videos. Think of it as a video-specific mimicry of the Billboard social charts.
When taking a look at the latest “Star Wars Themed Ads,” the viral hit by Volkswagen, which pits an inspired pint-sized Darth Vader against various household dangers in a commercial titled “The Force,” continues to dominate the All-time Stars Wars chart. Volkswagen’s latest viral Star Wars themed attempt, which sits in second place, is the ad “The Bark Side,” with just over 800,000 shares. It’s a far cry from last year’s break-out Super Bowl ad, which boasts over 5 million shares.
There’s definitely one commonality among the videos. Darth Vader is undoubtedly the winner, with an appearance in five of the top ten videos. But what’s even more interesting is that three of Volkswagen’s commercials round out the top five Star Wars themed ads. Is there an equation to the German car company’s viral success? We can’t help but to think so, but at the same time, we’re hoping that their Star Wars theme doesn’t get over-done come Super Bowl 2013.
Check out the top ten all time Star Wars themed viral ads below, and May the Fourth be with you:
1. The Force: Volkswagen Commercial
2. The Bark Side: 2012 Volkswagen Game Day Commercial Teaser
3. adidas Originals – Star Wars™ Cantina 2010
4. Darth Vader recording for TomTom GPS – behind the scenes
5. The Dog Strikes Back: 2012 Volkswagen Game Day Commercial
6. Yoda recording for TomTom GPS – behind the scenes
8. adidas Originals – Star Wars Collection
9. ESPN Ole Miss Star Wars Commercial
Let us know your favorite Star Wars ad in the comments below, and May the Fourth be with you.
