• by Mallory Russell , October 2, 2014

Cats versus dogs: It’s a long-held rivalry. While dogs, for the most part, by sheer size can take cats in real life, and many people prefer dogs to cats, given the feline tendency to be a little icy, it’s a cat’s world online.

Two years ago, we looked at the top 100 cat videos and top 100 dog videos online to determine which creature was more viral. Then, cats were a clear winner, garnering 1.6 billion views to dogs’ 1 billion views. Cat videos also drove twice the number of viewer comments that dog videos did.

Today, the story isn’t much different. Looking at those same top 100 videos, cat video viewership has increased to 2 billion views, while dog video viewership hit 1.3 billion views. Cat videos still elicit double the comments of dog videos.

When we looked at these videos two years ago, we advised that the virality of cat videos meant that advertisers should think seriously about including felines in their branded videos. But now it’s become evident that branded video is a different story from standard viral video.

While there are some examples of high-profile branded videos starring cats, like IKEA’s “Herding Cats” (9.3 million views) or the more recent Friskies' “Dear Kitten,” (16.3 million views), branded video is a dog’s world.

Some of the biggest branded campaigns of all time have starred cuddly canines, including Volkswagen’s “The Dog Strikes Back” (43.7 million views), and Budweiser’s 2014 Super Bowl spot, “Puppy Love” (57.6 million views).

And in just the past week, we’ve seen two videos starring pooches take off in a big way.

KLM’s 90-second ad, “Lost &Found Service” features Sherlock the beagle in a KLM vest working at an Amsterdam airport to return lost belongings to their owners. The dog returns headphones and stuffed animals to grateful passengers, bounding adorably through the airport and generating more than 10 million views in a week.

And Budweiser is back with another golden retriever in its Global Be(er) Responsible Day ad, “Friends Are Waiting.” The 60-second video begins with a guy bringing a new puppy home, followed by a montage of cute scenes of him playing with the dog. Fast-forward, and we see the guy go out for the night with a six-pack of Budweiser. The dog waits at home for his owner to return, looking oh so pitiful as he lies by the door waiting for his owner. Then text appears: “For some, the waiting never ended. But we can change that.” The dog’s owner walks through the door, explaining that he spent the night at his friend’s rather than drive home after drinking. The campaign has driven 18.6 million views in two weeks.

So what is it that makes dogs a more popular choice for brands and more successful in branded video? Cats tend to dominate the larger online video space. They do so with videos that expose the temperamental nature of cats or make fun of cats. More so, videos with cats go viral because they rely on humor.

But dogs win in branded video because they draw out emotions in viewers. Unlike cats, which often act aloof, even with their owners, dogs are creatures that love and adore their owners. That love and cuteness translates on screen. And as we’ve seen time after time this year, that kind of heartfelt emotion is so important in engaging viewers and getting them to share content.