Can you believe 2016 is already coming to an end? Neither can we.

As the curtains to this this action-packed year draw to a close, we revisit some of the heartwarming, brilliant, unexpected trends that took the Internet by storm.

Without further ado, here are our winning social media happenings of the year…

 

You’ve Got a Friend in Me

Everybody knows that cat clips rule the internet. So, when skincare brand La Roche-Posay released perhaps the most lovable video marketing campaign of the year, its resonating message didn’t go amiss:

Curiosity won’t kill the cat,  it’ll save the dog!

 

Orange you Glad

June 8th marked #NationalBestFriendsDay, and fizzy drink brand Fanta came up with a pun-derful tweet to mark the occasion:

A punny one-liner, it truly is a work of art.        

 

#RelationshipGoals If you haven’t yet enjoyed a ‘Colin the Caterpillar’ birthday cake, you haven’t lived. Just ask David.

For everyone’s favourite edible critter, it was definitely a landmark year of love and romance. Cue Connie, Colin’s (now not-so-new) chocolatey squeeze:

Oh, how buttery chocolate wouldn’t melt. With this viral marketing stunt, M&S definitely enjoyed a *sweet* victory.        

Please and Thank You

For many, the World Wide Web can be a difficult place to navigate. Ben’s nan wasn’t an exception. Upon discovering her very courteous question to Google, Ben had to share it with the world: 

And, upon discovering Ben’s tweet, Google had to reply:

 

Good manners get your far (and also get you catapulted into viral superstardom).

 

The Queen of Twitter

Queen Elizabeth II is  no stranger to the digital age. The first royal to send an e-mail way back in ‘76, Her Majesty embraced online culture once again in 2016 – social media, in particular – with her very first tweet on the official Royal Family Twitter account.

 

The Selfie of the Year 

Selfies bring people (and animals) together.

But the greatest selfie of 2016 did more than just that. When gymnasts Un-Jong from North Korea and Lee Eun-ju of South Korea posed together for a photo during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, they marked an iconic moment of unity between two countries.

As seen time and time again, love always wins.

 

Smells like School Spirit

The end of school holidays: every parent’s dream and every kid’s worst nightmare.

As Facebook newsfeeds were inundated with #BacktoSchool photos, one in particular got an A for effort:

Proving that a lucrative career can be built on social media expertise is none other than Johnny the cat, Bangkok’s feline superstar with his own bank account, a lead role in a Thai blockbuster and a casual 501k devoted followers on his Facebook page.

To anyone reading this with a pet cat — time to grab life by the claws.

 

Best Money Ever Spent

When 2016 suffered a setback in the form of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s break-up, it felt as though there was zero hope for the rest of us. But, as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining.

Optimists Norwegian Air made the best of a distressing situation with a campaign to end all campaigns:

A cheap plane ticket and a Hollywood hunk, how could anyone resist?

 

When Hillary Trumped Trump

Perhaps the most iconic moment of the US presidential race was when Hillary Clinton tweeted this absolute gem in regards to her (very orange) opponent:

She may not have won the election, but she certainly won at social media. 

 

Pugs and Kisses

Last but certainly not least, we can’t forget to pay an ode to the best Snapchat filter of the year.

 

2016, you’ve been pawsitively awesome.