You’ve probably seen them. By their very nature, it would be exceptional if you hadn’t been emailed, tweeted, or had your wall play host to a few of these advertisements over the past year.

The following 10 ads are the very definition of viral. They’re not just the most viewed, they have been shared more than any others – on Facebook, Twitter, in blogs – over the last 365 days as measured by the Viral Video Chart, powered by Unruly Media.

If you want some tips on what makes a talked about video – and a talked about brand – you’ve come to the right place…

10. Nissan – ‘Damned Ponies’

Ahh, Brazil. Famed for its nuts, its waxing, and now, its demonic ponies that live in your car and threaten you if don’t share their ad with ten friends. (By reading this article, you’re helping us reach our quota.)

(Hint: Makes slightly more sense with English subtitles.)

 

9. Carlsberg – Bikers in cinema

We put it at number eight in Marketing’s list of best experiential campaigns of the year a couple of weeks ago, and now it’s the ninth most shared ad of the year. Beer… is there anything it can’t do?

 

8. Contrex – ‘Ma Contrexpérience’

What better way to sell bottled water than a pink, neon male stripper powered by French ladies on exercise bikes? There isn’t one. We salute you, Nestlé.

 

7. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – ‘The Vet & The n00b’

It’s Aussie Sam Worthington (Avatar, Terminator Salvation) and Jonah Hill (Superbad, Moneyball) shooting people and blowing stuff up. But don’t worry, it’s just a game.

 

6. GetUp! Australia – ‘It’s time’

Don’t want to spoil the ending, but they’re [Spoiler censored – Ed].

 

5. Budweiser – 9/11 commercial that aired only once

Aired on TV only once reportedly because Budweiser didn’t want to profit from this tribute to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks, it has now been seen over 5.6 million times.

 

4. Rise of the Planet of the Apes – ‘Ape with AK-47’

This “footage from West African soldier” from the “20th Century Fox Research Library” is obviously some kind of accidental, yet very good quality amateur video of some soldiers in ‘West Africa’ who gave a chimp a loaded automatic weapon and then ran away instead of just shooting it when the animal’s finger unsurprisingly found the trigger. Or it’s an ad for a movie about apes.

 

3. Kia – ‘Soul Hamster’

Every day I’m shufflin’.

 

2. Volkswagen – ‘The force’

First aired during the Superbowl, this spot for Volkswagen’s Passat spread on the internet faster than a Kybuck that’s spotted the shadow of a Jyykle vulture.

 

1. DC Shoes – The Hollywood Megamercial

Come for the gorilla riding a Segway that rockets into the sky to narrowly avoid the car that’s been doing burnouts around it, stay for the countless film references in this nine minute DC Shoes epic starring rally driver Ken Block speeding around famous Hollywood film sets.