Bionic Arms and Hearing Hands: YouTube Brand Videos of The Week

Apple takes their next step towards world domination, Robert Downey Jr. continues to be awesome, Durex has a bedroom tip for the tech-savvy, and Samsung pulls off a beautiful stunt (too bad they didn’t actively promote it) – all in Pixability’s latest and greatest YouTube Brand Videos of the Week.
1. The Collective Project: Robert Downey Jr. Delivers a Real Bionic Arm

Why it works: A touching story is able to shine through without turning viewers away at the sight of Microsoft logos.
Areas for improvement: This video is not very well branded. There is one call-to-action, but it appears for only 2 seconds and does not leave enough time for viewers to process the hashtag. Overall SEO could be greatly improved by adding additional mentions of Iron Man, even if only in the tags.
Key takeaways: With a 67:1 like/dislike ratio and positive engagement, sentimental stories once again work well to capture the interest of viewers on YouTube.
2. Durex – #Connect

Why it works: Durex hooks up couples seeking improved integration with technology in the bedroom with a teaser for a free, revolutionary mobile app… with a surprising twist.
Areas for improvement: 36 relevant tags help SEO and discoverability, though the title and description could be improved. Annotations could have also helped drive viewers to the landing page.
Key takeaways: This video garnered over 22 million views in the first week and has a 6:1 like/dislike ratio thanks to its touching content that most can relate to.
3. Hearing Hands – Touching Ad by Samsung

Why it works: To introduce its new video call center for the hearing impaired, Samsung created a surprising and delightful video that amassed over 7 million views in the first 7 days.
Areas for improvement: Despite the fact that this is basically glorified product placement with a somewhat emotional story, the video isn’t even uploaded on any of Samsung’s YouTube channels. SEO is beyond the brand’s control in this instance, and is very poor with a lackluster title, limited description, and no tags.
Key takeaways: Emotional stories drive views but without hosting popular videos on a brand-owned channel, Samsung is losing out on key audience data, including views and engagement.
4. Apple Watch – The Watch Reimagined

Why it works: This new video introduces the long-awaited Apple watch.
Areas for improvement: The video has a 9:1 like/dislike ratio, but comments are disabled, severely limiting opportunities for audience engagement. SEO is non-existent with a four-word description and zero tags. There are no interactive elements, and minimal use of YouTube’s additional features.
Key takeaways: Apple may know how to build a loyal following with its products, but this is not the case when it comes to YouTube.