Welcome to YouTube AdWars: Battle of the Brands! Get ready for an epic showdown where we take a deep dive into the world of YouTube advertising. In each edition, we’ll pick a hot industry, select top brands, and put their ads through the ultimate test on our junbi platform. Who will rise to the top and claim the crown for the best YouTube ad? Buckle up and join us for the thrills, spills, and fierce competition!

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Be sure to understand that these scores are percentiles. So if your ad scores an 80, that means 80% of the YouTube ads scored below your ad’s score while only 20% scored above his score. Now that we know how these ads will be ranked, let’s dive into this edition’s holiday highlight—drum roll, please—Christmas Ads! Whether you’re watching YouTube videos or catching up on your favorite holiday vlogs, these ads are here to grab your attention and get you in the festive spirit.

From heartwarming stories to catchy jingles, these brands know just how to make you pause, smile, and maybe even pick up a few extra gifts along the way—whether it’s in-store or online. So, as we take a closer look at these fun and festive campaigns, let’s see which brands really know how to spread holiday cheer and make you stop scrolling!

Let The Game Begin…

Before we reveal the top contender, take a moment to reflect on their YouTube ads. Which one do you think stands out the most? Rank them from 1 to 4 in your mind—where 1 is the standout champion. Consider which advertisement grabs your attention and shines the brightest. Then, see if your picks align with our final rankings!

Contestant 1: Starbucks

Contestant 2: Walmart 

Contestant 3: Pepsi

Contestant 4: Aldi

Great content from all but who truly nailed the psychology of YouTube advertising? Are you ready with your results? Let’s compare them to what junbi.ai predicted! 

Contestant 1: Starbucks

Starbucks scored an overall 24, placing it in the poor zone on Junbi’s predictive platform. Known for its warm, cozy vibe and beloved seasonal drinks—especially around Christmas—this ad doesn’t quite live up to the brand’s reputation.

So, what went wrong? Let’s break it down.

What went well: Ad Breakthrough

Starbucks achieved a solid Ad Breakthrough score of 63, thanks to a clear focal point—keeping the main character centered throughout the ad—and the use of multiple faces, which are known to grab attention effectively.

However, there was room for improvement. The ad had a busy background, which made it harder for the main characters and the product to stand out. Adding more contrast between the foreground and background could have highlighted key elements better, helping to grab and sustain attention.

The frame-by-frame graph further supports this. Ad breakthrough remained strong throughout most of the ad but dipped toward the end when the faces disappeared, leaving only the brand logo and message. That drop is expected since brand effectiveness is measured separately.

Where they struggled most: Brand Attention

The ad scored a disappointing 7 on Brand Attention. For the first 13 seconds, viewers had no clue which brand the ad was representing—a significant misstep in the fast-paced ad and attention landscape.

Even when the logo and brand name finally appeared, they weren’t showcased effectively. The logo was too small, and it wasn’t on screen long enough to leave a lasting impression. This lack of visibility hurts brand recall, which is crucial for ad success.

As we always say: don’t shy away from featuring your brand name or logo prominently—especially at the beginning and end of the ad. By doing so, Starbucks could have amplified its brand presence by more than 10x.

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Room for improvement: Cognitive Ease

Cognitive Ease scored 37. The frame-by-frame graph for Cognitive Ease perfectly illustrates how this score works and provides valuable takeaways for advertisers.

The ad started strong with a high peak, thanks to a clear focus on the main characters and a clean, uncluttered background. However, as the ad progressed, the graph showed a noticeable decline. Why? The scenes became chaotic—there was too much happening in the background, paired with rapid scene changes, overwhelming the viewer.

Interestingly, the graph peaked again when the main character reached Starbucks. Can you guess why? The ad slowed down. The chaos subsided, giving viewers a moment to breathe and process the content. The clear focal point, simpler background, and smoother scene pacing made the ad much easier to follow, raising the Cognitive Ease score significantly by the end.

This highlights a key lesson: simplicity wins attention. A clear, uncluttered scene holds far more value than a busy, overwhelming one. Many advertisers mistakenly believe that cramming an ad with visuals and quick edits will make it “cool” and engaging. In reality, the brain doesn’t process chaos well—it shifts into distraction mode, seeking something calmer and easier to comprehend.

The result? You lose your audience’s interest, and they’re left feeling confused rather than connected to your message.  

Contestant 2: Walmart 

We had high hopes for Walmart, especially after their strong performance in our last Battle of the Brands series. Unfortunately, this time they landed in a similar spot as Starbucks, with an overall score of just 25.

Let’s take a closer look at their Christmas ad to see what went wrong!

What kind of worked: Ad Breakthrough

Walmart scored 35 on Ad Breakthrough—a result that requires a closer look to fully understand. At first glance, the ad seemed to get several things right: it used faces to attract attention, maintained clear focal points, and often created good contrast between the main character or message and the background.

So why such a low score? Sometimes, the smallest details can have the biggest impact.

To decode this, we need to examine the heatmap. At the very beginning of the ad, a distractor appears in the scene, splitting the viewer's attention. You can see this in Image 1. The issue? This distractor adds no real value to the ad, making its presence counterproductive.

Another key moment comes at around 21 seconds—the person behind the café counter and the background lack strong visual contrast. This caused the graph to dip, as the viewer’s focus struggled to lock onto a clear focal point.

The takeaway? Even minor distractions and weak contrast can derail attention and drag down Ad Breakthrough scores.

Slightly better score: Brand Attention

Walmart managed a 40 in Brand Attention. At first glance, this might seem puzzling—after all, they did display their brand name and logo at both the beginning and end of the ad. So, what went wrong?

This is a textbook case of “attention vampires” at play. Faces, while great for grabbing attention, can unintentionally steal focus from key elements like the brand name or logo. Faces are natural “attention seekers,” and when placed next to your branding, they soak up all the attention your brand deserves.

In Walmart’s case, the placement of their logo next to prominent faces reduced its visibility. If they had showcased their name and logo explicitly—away from these “attention vampires”—their Brand Attention score would have been much higher.

Lesson learned: Give your brand room to shine! Don’t let faces compete with your logo for attention.

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Where they struggled: Cognitive Ease

Despite being a simple and sweet ad, Walmart scored just 32 in Cognitive Ease. While the storyline was charming and easy to follow, the rapid scene changes worked against this score.

Here’s why: our brains prefer time to settle and absorb what’s on screen. When scenes change too quickly, the brain doesn’t get a chance to fully process what it’s seeing. This creates cognitive friction, making the ad harder to follow.

The frame-by-frame graph highlights this perfectly. The major dips align with the rapid scene changes, where attention struggled to keep up. In contrast, the peaks occurred during close-up, focused shots with minimal background distractions—moments where the viewer’s attention could comfortably lock onto a clear focal point.

The key takeaway? Smooth pacing and clean visuals matter. Give your audience time to process the story, and avoid overwhelming them with abrupt changes.

Contestant 3: Pepsi

Pepsi’s Christmas ad didn’t quite hit the mark either, landing an overall score of 34. So, what went wrong this time? Let’s dive in and find out.

What went well: Ad Breakthrough

Pepsi scored a solid 72 in Ad Breakthrough, meaning their ad successfully cut through the noise in key moments.

The frame-by-frame graph reveals why. The ad kicked off with a strong peak, thanks to a close-up shot of a Pepsi can being opened—an instant attention grabber. However, the momentum dropped shortly after, particularly during the fitness center scene. This part of the ad lacked clear focal points, didn’t use faces to anchor attention, and felt visually confusing, which likely distracted viewers.

Things turned around midway when the ad shifted to a party scene—and the graph reflects this. The upbeat energy, presence of human faces, and clear focal points brought the viewer’s focus back, proving that these elements are critical for maintaining attention.

Interestingly, even the final dips in the graph correspond to shots without a strong focus.

The key takeaway? If you want to sustain attention throughout your ad, prioritize clear focal shots, limit distractions, and use faces strategically to guide the viewer’s eye.

A not so strong performance: Brand Attention

Pepsi scored just 30 in Brand Attention, and it’s clear where they could have improved. To boost brand recall, it's crucial to feature your brand consistently—at the start, end, and throughout the ad.

While Pepsi did include their brand name at both the beginning and end, the frame-by-frame graph shows that their efforts were short-lived. The initial spike in brand attention quickly dips, which could have been avoided by keeping the logo visible for just a little longer, allowing the brain more time to process it.

In the ad's final moments, the brand name appears on a Christmas ornament, but it doesn’t stand out enough. To improve visibility, they could have increased the size of the logo or placed it in a less distracting background.

These small changes could have significantly boosted their Brand Attention score!

Where they struggled: Cognitive Ease

Pepsi’s 21 in Cognitive Ease shows that their ad fell short in creating a smooth, easy-to-process experience.

The ad’s rapid scene changes and overwhelming visual clutter made it difficult for viewers to focus. In the beginning, there was no clear focal point, and the constant shifting from one scene to the next overloaded the brain, making it hard to follow.

In today’s fast-paced world, viewers are quick to skip ads. To keep their attention, ads need to be simple, clear, and visually engaging—without frustrating the audience. Creating an ad that’s easy to process will keep viewers interested, helping them stick around until the very end. 

Contestant 4: Aldi

Now, it's time for the final contestant. After the underwhelming performances of the previous ads, the pressure is on Aldi’s Christmas ad to elevate this Battle of the Brands.

And guess what? Aldi delivered! With an impressive overall score of 73, their Christmas ad topped the list. Despite being the longest ad among the ones we’ve reviewed, Aldi managed to secure the first spot. Let’s dive into what made this ad stand out.

What went well: Ad Breakthrough

Aldi scored an impressive 76 in Ad Breakthrough, and it’s easy to see why. They used adorable close-up shots of the carrots, paired with large, clear text that stood out, helping to grab attention. The ad also did a great job of maintaining a clear focal point throughout.

While fewer scene changes and more focused shots could have further boosted the score, Aldi managed to keep the viewer's attention despite the ad's longer length. With a strong, engaging storyline, they successfully diverted focus from distractions, holding the audience's attention throughout.

Could be better: Brand Attention

While Aldi made an effort to integrate branding throughout the ad, their brand attention score of 54 doesn’t fully reflect these efforts. Yes, they featured their brand name at the start, throughout, and at the end, but there’s room for improvement.

If you’re a Junbi expert, you’ll recognize that their logo and brand name were simply too small to stand out. The large text and festive Christmas vibe at the start likely distracted viewers from noticing the brand. The same issue arose at the end of the ad.

To improve this, Aldi could have placed their logo against a high-contrast background with a larger font to ensure it caught the viewer’s eye and stuck in their memory. This simple adjustment would have significantly boosted their brand attention. Nonetheless, they deserve credit for making branding a consistent part of the ad!

Needs improvement: Cognitive Ease

A score of 55 in such a long ad isn’t bad, but there’s definitely room for improvement. The frame-by-frame graph shows several dips, primarily due to too many scene changes, which made it harder for the brain to fully process the content.

However, there were plenty of peaks in the graph as well, thanks to the ad’s focus on clear focal points. Whenever the main characters appeared, the attention was directed towards them, with a less cluttered background that made it easier for viewers to focus.

That said, moments when too much was happening on screen definitely pulled the score down. Still, considering the ad’s length, Aldi did a solid job of maintaining cognitive ease overall.

Who Takes the Trophy?

Here are the rankings:

• Starbucks: Overall score 24
• Walmart: Overall score 25
• Pepsi: Overall score 34
• Aldi: Overall score 73

Congrats to Aldi for winning the Battle of the Brands - Christmas Ads Edition! They led the pack with a great performance. The other ads were creative but missed out on some easily fixable points that could have been optimized with junbi.ai.

Don’t miss your chance to be the brand that turns heads! See you in the next Battle. Until then, get creative and get junbi-approved!