As the year draws to a close, 2010 lists are being drawn up for almost anything and everything from celebrities, news stories, millionaires (if not billionaires), and even the tweets that have been the most popular or influential this past year. With all the different lists, the one that I always look forward to is the best video ads of the year.

Video is one of the most powerful tools you can use to get your message, and in this case your brand, across to your audience. With the SuperBowl and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, this year produced a number of impressive and some very expensive advertising videos that made some big brands even more memorable and some unknowns now unforgettable. In light of this, I have also compiled my top five branding videos of 2010. Let me know what you think.

5) T-Mobile—Welcome Back

Flash mobs seem to be all the craze when it comes to viral videos and T-Mobile is not the first to catch onto this hot trend. Troupes around the world broke out in dance during Michael Jackson’s one-year death anniversary, FOX television show Glee had surprise dance performances at random locations to promote their new season and concert series, and even Oprah took a video with her mobile phone of the Black Eyed Peas flash mob performance on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. In this three-minute ad, T-Mobile’s professional singers serenaded confused travelers as they arrived in London Heathrow Airport. Yes, flash mobs videos may seem to have the production value of a home video, but it is also a great way to get your audience’s attention as seen in this clip. This viral video is a sequel to the also very successful flash mob ad called “T-Mobile Dance.”

4) 2011 Toyota Sienna MiniVan—Swagger Wagon

This video ad is more of a music video than just a commercial. With its own website dedicated to “Swagger Wagon,” this video was released last May amidst the recalls which ironically continues with Toyota recalling more than 100,000 2011 Sienna MiniVans just last week for potential brake problems. I can’t say that it addresses the safety issues current and potential Toyota customers may have, but this rap video parody is still darn entertaining.

3) Google—Parisian Love

As the American poet Walt Whitman said, “Simplicity is the glory of expression;” this seemingly simple video from Google is spot on in expressing how Google Search plays a part in everyone’s daily lives. You can call me a romantic, but I believe telling a love story through the actual search tool is brilliant. Although, I never thought that Google would need to advertise.

2) Old Spice—The Man Your Man Could Smell Like

This quick but entertaining video made my number two spot for its sheer originality and humor that ultimately conveyed the message—Old Spice is not only for old men. In its 30 seconds, it grabs your attention and leaves you wondering just what the heck you just saw. This ad featuring former NFL wide receiver Isaiah Mustafa sparked a series of “manmercials” that includes numerous personalized video replies to his fans by the Old Spice man himself.

1) Nike—Write the Future

I may be a little biased with this choice since I consider myself a diehard football fan (for those who do not call the sport by its international name, I’ll refer to it as ‘soccer’ from here onwards), but this video has everything—great concept, amazing footage and editing, an all-star cast of footballers and non-footballers, and a hefty price tag of $21 million. “Write the Future” was Nike’s advertising push during the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. This quick-cut, hyper-speed video was written and produced by the Academy Award-nominated director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu who is known for his talent of jumping to and from multiple plot lines and weaving them into a harmonious narrative. This three-minute story not only had soccer fans buzzing their vuvuzelas, but also film and advertising professionals. Garnering  7.8 million views on YouTube on its first week alone, this mini-movie set a new record for most views of a viral video ad in its debut week according to web video analytics company Visible Measures.