2014 has been an exciting year for the PR and digital media industry, and at Firefly we have enjoyed a load of giggles and awed at some of social media’s finest moments. As the year draws to a close, we thought we would share with you our top picks of the year. 

Introducing Firefly Communications’s top 10 countdown:

10. All in or nothing

The World Cup saw hundreds of brands vie for attention at the so-called 'Greatest Show On Earth' in Brazil this year. Adidas picked up the cup for social media success as the ‘most talked about‘ brand connected to the World Cup, generating 1.59 million conversations across Twitter, Facebook, blogs and Tumblr. Adidas’ all in or nothing campaign truly captured the intense emotions of the tournament, and racked up 917,000 mentions on Twitter with #allin or nothing.

9: The most liked picture on Instagram

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A photo posted by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on May 5, 2014 at 7:58am PDT

 

Chalking up a staggering 3.2 million likes for a mere picture, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's wedding picture makes the list for the sheer number of likes. Fun fact, Kim Kardashian also has just about more followers than any other woman on Instagram to this date.

8. Ice Bucket Challenge

Not so much a social media moment as a galaxy of moments. The Ice Bucket Challenge ignited the general public into social charitable events. There were debates over who really 'owned' the Ice Bucket Challenge and questions over whether participants actually all donated, but it's fair to say that it signalled a turning point in how charities consider fundraising in the future.

7. Sainsbury's fish pun Twitter exchange

Who could forget the great Sainsbury's fish pun exchange of 2014 on Twitter? Starting with an innocent cod pun, this exchange fast evolved into one of the best pun wars ever seen on Twitter between a customer and a Sainsbury's staff member:

6: First Kiss

We loved this black and white number from filmmaker Tatia PIlieva, documenting the moment perfect strangers kissed. Chocking up an impressive 94 million viewers and counting, we enjoyed watching the interactions between these strangers, who laughed nervously to fill the awkward silences before their kiss, before becoming passionately lost in the moment when they finally lean in.

5: Nestle Coffee-mate's "stirring up love outside the cup" campaign

Ah doesn't everyone go crazy for a little Valentine's Day campaign? For sure, expressing how you feel — especially on Valentine's Day is an intimidating prospect. Nestle's Coffee-mate took full advantage of all love sick souls on this special day and stepped in, tasking a team of professional artists to turn users’ declarations of love into shareable, one-of-a-kind valentines. Using the hashtag #CMValentine, users submitted love notes on Twitter and Facebook, which were turned into handcrafted Valentines for their loved ones. By thinking “outside the cup”, Nestle turned everyday expressions of love into miniature works of art, increasing their channel engagement and adding new consumers to its social media communities.

4: Chevy and the American Cancer society "paint social media purple" campaign

Paying homage to cancer survivors, Chevy’s emotional “Purple Your Profile” campaign stole a moving 60-second spot during the 2014 Super Bowl. Entitled “Life”, the brand gave people the opportunity to “purple” their Facebook profile, and donated $1 to the American Cancer Society for each person that participated. The programme was massively popular, with leading consumer brands like Energizer and Lowe’s joining the movement, and the story being covered across major networks like Fox and ABC. Most importantly, it raised $1 million for cancer charities and gave survivors the chance to come together to deliver a message of hope. A fine example of the strength of social media in uniting people from across the world, and coming together for a good cause.

3: The Grumpy Cat empire

In just two years the cat – whose real name is Tardar Source – has made £64 million from an array of products, including bestselling books and a film. Owner Tabatha Bundesen was reportedly able to quit her job as a waitress within days of Grumpy's first appearance on social media. Grumpy became an Internet superstar after Ms Bundesen's brother posted a picture online. With an impressive digital presence on social media: 514,000 followers on Instagram and 255,000 on Twitter, there has also been a line of products including a brand of iced coffee, called Grumppuccino and the cat is also “the face” of Friskies. The now-famous cat has also appeared on the front pages of The Wall Street Journal and New York Magazine, with her big screen debut coming soon, The film “Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever” has been billed as a cross between Home Alone and Die Hard. It may not be the example to convince naysayers who think digital is all about cute cat videos, but there's no doubt that Grumpy has made an impact in 2014.

2. Stephen's Story

Young Stephen Sutton touched the nation with his positive attitude and relentless campaign to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust through his "thumbs up" bucket list challenge. Sadly Stephen passed away in May, but he smashed his £1 million target, leaving a £5 million legacy - and counting. Principally his campaign was run from his Facebook page, with a Just Giving donations page to collect money. The campaign found its way into traditional media and through other social media channels and a dedicated website Stephen's Story.

1. THAT Selfie

 

If only Bradley's arm was longer. Best photo ever. #oscars pic.twitter.com/C9U5NOtGap — Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) March 3, 2014

Rounding up the Firefly social media countdown 2014 is quite possibly the best-known selfie ever taken to date. Posted by Ellen Degeneres from The Oscars, this celebrity-crammed selfie inspired a whole lot of group selfie copycats. With over two million favourites and 3.3 million retweets at time of writing, it's the selfie to beat.