A commercial encouraging men in India to do their fair share of household chores has become the world's most effective advert, according to a study.
"Share the Load," an ad for laundry brand Ariel, resulted in doubled sales by value and by volume, the study by advertising research company WARC said. More than 1.5 million men in India also pledged to do their fair share of housework.
Procter and Gamble, which owns Ariel, is the world's number one advertiser, according to WARC, with five advertising campaigns in a list of the top 100.
Other adverts that made it into the top ten include a subscription campaign for The Economist by agency Proximity London, which had a return on investment of 25 to one, and a series of ads for Australian swimming pool company Narellan, which used data to target people at times when they were most likely to buy a pool resulting in a 23 percent sales uplift. Other winners include Apple, Always and U.K. department store John Lewis.
WARC put the list together by analyzing more than 2,000 winners of advertising effectiveness campaigns around the world, in partnership with King's College London.
Here the ten most effective advertising campaigns globally, according to WARC.
1. Ariel "Share the Load," India
A father in India looks on as his daughter returns from work. Her son needs a clean shirt, her husband demands his dinner and her living room needs tidying. Ariel wanted the ad to encourage fathers to help with household chores - and of course sell detergent.
2. John Lewis Christmas advertising, 2012 to 2015, U.K.
The British department store's Christmas adverts are hugely anticipated, highly critiqued, and often parodied every year. This spot from 2015 showed an elderly man alone on the moon, while a young girl watched him through a telescope in her bedroom, and ended with her sending him a telescope of his own. It sparked £1 million in donations ($1.2 million) and resulted in the store's highest Christmas sales at the time.
3. Double Robotics, "Lucy the Robot," Australia
When Lucy the Robot turned up in a queue for the new iPhone 6 in Sydney, Australia, it was more than just a PR stunt. Technology company Double Robotics had sent her to the store, aiming too help businesses understand what robots could do for them, and the campaign resulted in more than 12,400 inquiries in three days.
4. Media Markt, "Rabbit Race," Germany
This eye-catching ad for electronics retailer Media Markt saw rabbits 'racing' live on TV. People could get money off goods if a number on their receipt matched the number on the winning bunny, and the campaign was seen by 21 million people.
5. The Economist, "Raising Eyebrows and Subscriptions," U.K.
The Economist was seen as a "boring business publication" by those who hadn't read it, so to get more subscribers, it used data to place highly relevant ads online. So on an article with the headline "How women can break through the glass ceiling" it placed an ad saying "Would Lehman sisters have done a better job?" for example, and the campaign resulted in more than 64,000 new subscribers.
6. Narellan Pools, "Diving into Data for Narellan," Australia
Australian pool-maker Narellan targeted people when they were most likely to think about swimming pools - hot days. The campaign, which used clever data analysis to reach people, resulted in a 23 percent year-on-year sales uplift.
7. Apple, "World Gallery," U.S.
Apple wanted to promote the iPhone 6 camera, so it created a campaign using pictures real people had taken and put them on billboards around the world. Apple claims that 24,000 "opinion leaders" mentioned the campaign, and that 95 percent of the mentions on social media were positive.
8. Always, "#LikeAGirl," global
Always parent company Procter & Gamble found that more than half of girls it surveyed in the U.S. experienced a drop in confidence when they reached puberty. So it created the #LikeAGirl campaign, aiming to change the phrase from negative to positive. After it ran, 76 percent of people P&G researched said they saw the phrase positively, and two in three men said they would think twice before using "like a girl" as an insult.
9. SPC, "#MyFamilyCan," Australia
Canned fruit company SPC faced stiff competition from cheaper imports, so it created a campaign highlighting its origins and featured its farmers' faces on its cans. It beat its eight percent sales uplift target and resulted in a change in labeling legislation.
10. Tigerair, "Infrequent Flyers," Australia
According to advertising agency McCann in Australia, 77 percent of Australians fly less than three times a year because it's too expensive. So it created the "Infrequent Flyers" club for client Tigerair, "the rewards program that gives you absolutely nothing at all," according to a film on the agency's website. The club now has 500,000 members and generated AU $2 million ($1.5 million) in sales in three months.