Adorable critters, elaborate song-and-dance routines, tearjerking tales of inspiration — these are the staples of advertising virality, and each was in abundant supply among this year's most-shared commercials.
Video tracking firm Unruly tallied up some of 2016's biggest hits from around the world in its annual ranking released this week.
Mashable Top StoriesStay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news.Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletterBy signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Thanks for signing up!
Topping out the list, unsurprisingly, is British department story John Lewis' mood-brightening story of a puppy seeing its Christmas wish come true. Some other notable ads that made the cut include an inspirational musical act performed by people with disability for the Paralympics and a fan-made Doritos Super Bowl spot.
It's worth noting that the ads are judged on the number of times they're shared across social platforms rather than simple viewership, which can sometimes be inflated through paid means.
20. Nintendo - First Look at Nintendo Switch
19. Mentos Indonesia - Mentos Mentors
18. Facebook - Aquila Test Flight
17. Momondo - The DNA Journey
16. Knorr - Spirit of Ramadan
15. OK Go & Morton Salt - The One Moment
14. Samsung - Introducing Samsung Galaxy S7
13. Volkswagen - Trailer Assist
12. Nike Basketball - The Conductor
11. McDonald's Philippines - Tuloy Pa Rin
10. 7-Eleven Thailand - Teachers
9. Cadbury's Dairy Milk - Aliens
8. Ariel - #sharetheload
7. Doritos - Ultrasound
6. Nike - The Switch
5. OK Go & S7 Airlines - Upside Down and Inside Out
