Year in review: The 10 ads that made us cheer

See all our 2016 year-in-review features: Brand crises; major appointments and departures; big launches; the best, worst and strangest ads; and more.

Today's list: The best 10 pieces of work, according to our editors.

1. 'Nursery crimes': One ECD's quest to stop child sexual abuse in Malaysia
Painful personal experience pushed NagaDDB's ECD, Alvin Teoh, to create a powerful campaign against paedophilia. 

2. China’s “leftover women” stand up to marriage pressure and #ChangeDestiny 
‘Marriage Market Takeover’ for SK-II by Forsman & Bodenfors.

3. Da da ding: Nike's call to women in India
Wieden + Kennedy unleashes an infectious anthem for female athletes in India.

4. Philippines Smart Communications breaks barriers with LGBT community
Coming-out tale by Dentsu JaymeSyfu earns raves.

5. Video of crying men makes an impact in Australia
'Man up' campaign by Cummins & Partners and TV show send an important message and get a significant reaction.

6. Kiwis are 'Sweeter than you think', sings Zespri
Campaign by The Secret Little Agency attempts to sweeten the kiwifruits' sour reputation with a musical number.

7. You'll laugh when you see why these people are so emotional
Thailand's Bar-B-Q Plaza, with GREYnJ United, introduces a new item, melodramatically—and skewers Thailand ad conventions.

8. Uni-President serves up a new round of moments
Uni-President, with ADK Global, has released a follow-up to its award-winning ‘House of Little Moments’, a series of poignant short dramas set in a noodle shop.

9. Coming out at McCafe Taiwan
‘Acceptance’ for McCafé by Leo Burnett Taiwan.

10. Happy couple savagely murders sharks in wedding video
'Congratulations' for Hong Kong Shark Foundation by Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong: An impressive bit of compositing work.

Bonus 1:

• Campaign Japan's favourite work of the year

Bonus 2: These 5 just missed the cut

• MJ Bale tortured this model for five days to prove a point about its suits
• Prudential challenges you to stare at the ones you love for 4 minutes
• Don’t neglect the gift that is your child’s imagination: Lego
• Minohodoshirazu: Not knowing your place is good, Nike says
• Built to survive a car crash, 'Graham' leaves Darwin in the dust