Google Brand Zeitgeist reveals best ads + brands in Australia for 2012; Gumtree most searched; Coles’ Status Quo ad via Big Red most searched

Google has released its annual Australian Brand Zeitgeist, a list of the hottest advertising campaigns and trends in 2012 as measured by Google searches by Australians. Google’s Brand Zeitgeist reveals what clicked with Aussie consumers in 2012 and presents insight for marketing professionals and ad agencies to tailor their campaigns in 2013.

Clever ads are often some of the most watched videos online – and when people want to watch that ad they loved again, they turn to the web to find it. Google took a look at 2012 to see which campaigns came out on top.

This year, ‘Coles ad ‘ topped the category of most searched for ads on Google. Searches for the term spiked in July shortly after the supermarket unveiled the recent iteration of their ad campaign ‘Down, Down, Prices Are Down‘. The latest ad featured British rock band Status Quo, who took up guitars shaped like Coles Big Red Hands to sing the chain’s signature adaptation of the Quo’s classic 1975 hit “Down Down.”

Saucy humour and abundant innuendo helped Lynx snag second place as viewers searched for Lynx’s ‘Clean Your Balls’ ad while Australia’s mobile fever helped Samsung land bronze for their Galaxy SIII promo spot “the next big thing is already here“.

Says Ross McDonald, industry leader local & retail, Google Australia: “Aussies will take to the web to search for the ads that moved them. Brands who understand this can extend their reach beyond television by helping their customers create their own commercial breaks: making their TV spots available on sites like YouTube and promoting them to online viewers.”

Gumtree overtakes Commonwealth Bank as most searched for brand

Google also crunched the numbers to see which brands were top-of-mind for consumers Down Under in 2012. This year’s surprise winner is classifieds site Gumtree: while the eBay-owned website didn’t even crack last year’s top 10, Gumtree came from behind to unseat ‘two-time champion’ Commonwealth Bank. Another newcomer to the top 10 is job portal SEEK, which debuted on this year’s list in fifth place. The success of these two sites might indicate that brands who can help Australian consumers overcome economic challenges are well positioned to make strong gains online.

Says McDonald: “Actions in the real world make a difference in the products and services that people search for. All brands should make sure their online presence can meet demand generated by trends and changes offline.”

Is 2012 the year overseas retailers have become mainstream?

While 2011 saw overseas retail brands gain further momentum in Australia, 2012 might be recorded as the year they became mainstream: Australian retail heavyweights like Woolworths and Coles dominated the list of most searched for retailers, but British fashion e-commerce giant ASOS came in at 9th–the first time an online-only retail brand has cracked the top 10.

Says McDonald: “With online and international retailers posting strong gains throughout this year, it’s more important than ever for Aussie retailers to embrace the opportunities the web offers to stay competitive. We know that Australian shoppers trust their local brands and tend to look for them first–but overseas retailers are catching up. An online and mobile strategy to make themselves readily available should be the number one priority for every retailer in Australia.”

Top Searches for Australian Brands, 2012:

Gumtree

Commonwealth Bank

ANZ

Telstra

Seek

Westpac

AFL

Virgin

nab

ABC

Top Searches for Australian Brands, 2011:

Commonwealth Bank

AFL

ANZ

Virgin

Westpac

ABC

Telstra

Qantas

Optus

nab

Top Searches for Ads, 2012:

Coles ad

Lynx ad

Samsung ad

Woolworths ad

AAMI ad

Coke ad

Big brother ad

Nike ad

Qantas ad

Carlton Draught ad

Top Searches for Ads, 2011:

Strongbow ad

Bonds ad

Telstra ad

AAMI ad

Toyota ad

Coles ad

Old Spice ad

Target ad

KFC ad

Nikon ad

Top Searches for Shopping Brands, 2012:

eBay

Woolworths

Big W

Coles

Harvey Norman

Kmart

Target

Amazon

ASOS

Officeworks

Top Searches for Shopping Brands, 2011:

eBay

Harvey Norman

Woolworths

Kmart

Coles

Target

Trading Post

JB Hi Fi

Good Guys

Big W

Top Searches for Beer Brands, 2012:       

1. XXXX

2. Carlton Draught

3. XXXX Gold

4. Skinny Blonde

5. Crown Lager           

6. Tooheys Extra Dry

7. Tooheys New          

8. Victoria Bitter          

9. Melbourne Bitter

10. Brisbane Bitter

Fastest Rising Searches for Beer Brands, 2012:

1. Brisbane Bitter

2. Carlton Draught

3. Skinny Blonde        &
nbsp;

4. Crown Lager           

5. XXXX

6. Tooheys Old

7. XXXX Gold

8. Victoria Bitter

9. Mountains Goat Beer

10. Fosters Lager

Top Searches for Overseas Destinations, 2012:

1. New Zealand

2. Singapore

3. London

4. Vanuatu

5. Phuket

6. Italy

7. Maldives

8. Indonesia

9. Russia

10. Mauritius

Top Searches for Australian Cities, 2012:

1.  Sydney

2.  Melbourne

3.  Brisbane

4.  Perth

5.  Adelaide

6.  Canberra

7.  Cairns

8.  Gold Coast

9.  Byron Bay

10.  Townsville