WATCH: The 5 Most Popular YouTube Ads of the Past Decade Winners run the gamut from the gut-wrenching to the inane.

By Geoff Weiss

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From noted athletes pulling impossibly daring stunts to pointed missives about female empowerment, the most popular YouTube ads of the past decade run the gamut from the gut-wrenching to the inane.

In honor of its 10th birthday, YouTube asked viewers and members of the advertising community to vote for their favorite branded videos of all time. While Always' much-beloved "Like A Girl" campaign and Jean-Claude Van Damme's epic splits for Volvo undoubtedly clinched the top five, the overall winner might surprise you.

Check out the ranking in full below:

Related: WATCH: The Top 26 Video Categories That Dominated YouTube's First Decade

5. Dove, "Real Beauty Sketches: You're More Beautiful Than You Think"

4. Volvo Trucks, "The Epic Split Featuring Van Damme"

3. Always, "Like a Girl"

2. Volkswagen, "The Force"

1. Turkish Airlines, "Kobe vs. Messi: The Selfie Shootout"

Related: 5 Secrets to Succeed at Video Advertising
Geoff Weiss

Former Staff Writer

Geoff Weiss is a former staff writer at Entrepreneur.com.

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