Video marketing is a beaming industry that has become the center of many substantial marketing strategies since 1941. Videos have taken part in the most successful campaigns by famous corporations. However, one most recent strategy has taken all industries by storm. We are referring here to the animated explainer video.
One of the very first videos used solely for marketing purposes was a commercial video by Bulova, a watch company during a Yankees game. This was way before Youtube and social media platforms were invented. With the latter being developed, people are now accustomed to seeing videos everywhere. This has elevated the value of using videos in almost anything to grab people’s attention.
However, with videos being a key business driving force, companies need to make sure they are using the suitable video type for their campaign. They might risk falling into the trap of using boring videos. As far as video is concerned, an animated explainer video has proved to fit most concepts and bring more traffic than a live-action video would.
The decision to choose the perfect type of videos to use in your video marketing strategy shouldn’t be made on a whim. Strategies like these should be based on actual facts and statistics. It should also be based on previous case studies of businesses that used both types to analyze the results.
An animated explainer video, by far, has proven to be accessible to most people. This type of video is effective to engage broad viewers and captivate them using the art of storytelling. With that being said, some might argue that animated explainer videos are delivered to a certain group and how it does not fit with a big corporate’s image. This statement is false as the core reason for using an animated explainer video is based on the type of message the company would like to portray. It has nothing to do with the company’s size or reputation.
Since most companies use video marketing to inform and connect with their audiences, they most likely use animated explainer videos rather than live actions for multiple reasons. One of these reasons is how easily an animated explainer video can set human connections between a company and its community by using animated characters that evoke emotional attachment.
This is probably the side effect of watching cartoon movies and series at a younger age. Having an animated explainer video with a more mature concept and solid message just solidifies what the brand works towards for customers. Ultimately, this type of video increases the chances for a brand to become the first choice for many people.
Americans were the first to create videos that used the concept of animation for marketing and advertising. There was a time which refers back as the golden age of American animation between 1912 and the 1960s; with animated explainer videos like Mr. Clean and Trix Rabbit, etc. Today, the concept of using an animated explainer video is still valid and pretty much at its peak.
An animated explainer video is surely the best medium a brand could use for various reasons. Using this type of video for commercial purposes is key as it fits all social media platforms regardless of the brand’s message. People can easily view it and share it with others. It can also help brands launch their business without focusing on a particular group as animation is viewed and loved by many people.
Corporates are leaning towards working with an animated explainer video rather than the typical live-action or other types of videos simply for originality. An animated explainer video can be customized in all its aspects to fit exactly the brand’s needs. It’s important to stand out from the constant competition and aim for relevancy. So using the mainstream, conventional and boring mediums is not efficient for your products and image.
You can invest in creating your own animated characters, music, images, and other resources to be able to carry them on throughout your video marketing campaign. This is something live-action video misses out on. Even with a detailed plan to create an original live-action, there will always be some kind of similarities between live-action videos in terms of location, props, and actors. For animated explainer videos, you can think of any idea to promote your brand and it can be created.
In terms of budget, you may wonder why big corporations spend money on 2d animation videos while they can easily choose any other type of video with less budget? The thing is, an explainer video will cost you way less than creating a live video.
It’s true that an animated explainer video, especially if made from scratch, will need a budget to pay for original and commercial-free music, designing custom animated characters, and content creators to bring all elements to life. However, when compared to other video types like live-action videos, you’re actually spending way less.
For a live-action video, you have to think of location rent, actors' salary, props, managers, director, staff, food and drinks, and so on! There’s also the fact a single video could take more than 5 days to be shot and edited. An animated explainer video is more cost-effective and a risk-free option in case you will need to make any necessary edits or changes.
It’s important to also mention that the storyline is pivotal in this case. As a brand, viewers are introduced to your product based on what you provide. Whatever you choose as your storyline will determine how people perceive your brand. Therefore, corporations are extremely sensitive about this point as animated explainer videos allow them to fully customize and get completely submerged in the story-making process.
Overall, there are endless reasons why an animated explainer video is ranked number one for marketing purposes:
Improves conversions and sales
Increases brand awareness
Builds trust in your business
Generate leads
Helps to gain social influence
Nespresso, a worldwide pioneer in premium coffee, has incorporated a 30-second animated explainer video ad in 2017 to promote one of their limited edition coffee: Nespresso on Ice. This short video showcases a summer getaway dream location while sipping on a refreshing iced coffee.
Nespresso used three simple scenes with minimal action, and summery background music with different sound effects to highlight the protagonist’s actions. The bright color choice fits the video’s theme perfectly as well. Although there isn’t any voiceover, the video could do without any talking effect as it initially serves to portray calmness and holiday vibes.
As an advertisement for Nespresso’s limited-edition iced coffee, all elements selected were designed to encourage people to purchase the product as it will allow them to feel refreshed. The use of the holiday theme is also intentional since the video was released on Juin, the start of summer days.
When Facebook first launched its reactions feature, it established an animated explainer video to inform customers and address each one of their emotions. All six reactions were displayed based on what the protagonist, a playful cat/dog, does. They opted for a more cartoon-like animal instead of the usual drawing of either a cat or dog. This offers more originality for the purpose of the video.
Surprisingly, this animated explainer video doesn’t have any music or voiceover. The use of sound effects replaced both these elements. The use of voiceover or music is not always advised especially if you want to give utmost focus to a specific element in the video. In our case, the focus was directed to how the reactions sound as well as the animal.
As for color choice, you can’t go wrong with neutrals and a pop of color. Throughout the video, which can be identified as a single shot, the colors were neutral except for the reactions and the bright color of cat/dog to give more emphasis.
In 67 seconds, Dropbox has created an animated explainer video introducing its product and features in the most engaging way. No scene is similar to the next. The use of animated characters in a hand-drawn style gives off a clean yet fun aspect. Even though the video informs of different aspects within dropbox, the animation makes it easy for the viewer to digest all information.
This specific animated explainer video might seem complicated at first sight, however, Dropbox only used a simple white background with moving images and characters. The use of bold colors in this video was only apparent in a few elements; either characters’ clothing or props. The rest was heavily colored in white and light gray.
The voiceover in this animated explainer video is done by a female voice actor, a spot-on choice for a simple and instructive video. The tone was moderate and not overly exciting. If this video was meant to introduce a specific product or inform customers of an update for the first time, this voiceover might not work for this case. However, as this is a video description of Dropbox’s features, the voice level is right.
Animated explainer videos don’t always have to be complicated. Having an engaging storyline is enough to grab people’s attention using simple animation. Starbucks animated explainer video educates the viewers on how they choose and blend coffees to create new flavors. This type of video is informative as it lets the viewer into one of the secrets of the brand and how they choose their flavors.
The protagonist in this video is the voice actor. As a male narrator, he leads the conversation throughout the video scenes in a clear and smooth tonality. However, the animations are the opposite contrast. Starbucks uses bright colors in all scenes with moving animations like coffee beans and coffee packaging, but not a single character.
Twitter created an animated explainer video to promote their Flight School service which aims to help Twitter users and teach them the best ways to work with Twitter. The whole idea is presented using animation, which proves that even with instructive videos, animation can be the best option. The use of animation actually makes you click on the links provided and check more information about the service.
Even though the video is heavily created for customer engagement, they used vibrant animation with warm colors; blues, oranges, and yellows. Music also reflects the animation choice with a fun twist.
One thing to take note of is the fact that Twitter didn’t use any text with the animation. Since this is an instructive video, people assume that with these types of videos, texts should be added to validate and confirm what the voiceover narrates. But when things are excessive, they tend to be all over the place. Therefore, it’s important to give priority to what you think suits the storyline and the product best.
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