Animation Marketing Videos: The Best Marketing Approach for Businesses?

Marketing is one of the hardest parts of running a successful business. Larger companies have entire teams dedicated solely to market research, advertisement, and marketing, sometimes with little success. Success in marketing requires both the right approach and the right tools for the job.

One of the key tools that has seen a recent surge in popularity is animated marketing videos: With more affordable production costs, increased conversion rates, and improved engagement, animations have become a key way for companies to advertise their brand, introduce their products, and engage social media. In this article, we'll go over everything you need to know about animation in marketing, from its strengths to its types, and the way to approach the medium correctly!

7 Best Examples of Successful Animated Marketing Videos

It can be hard to gauge what animated marketing videos can do for your company. The best way to get an idea about all the advantages animations can offer is by looking at what animated videos have done for other businesses. Here we'll go over 10 excellent examples of successful animated marketing campaigns - five have been chosen from around the world and five are from our own company, Pigeon Studio's, works with business leaders across various industries.

If you want to learn what animated videos can do for your company, check out these examples:

#1 Starbucks' Animated Explainer Video 

Animated explainer videos are a great way to communicate your approach and your values to your clients, and nothing demonstrates that better than Starbucks's iconic marketing campaign. Blending together highly evocative animation with a detailed voice-over that explains that Starbucks's coffee is made in accordance with its core client base's values and morals has allowed Starbucks to retain and expand its core customer base over the years, and it is largely thanks to these marketing efforts.

#2 GQueues Animated Explainer Video

GQueues is a task management app that aims to integrate Google Workspace with other Google apps including Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Calendar with the aim of simplifying task management, information sharing, and teamwork.

 By doing market research and holding extensive talks with our client, we figured out the main clients for the app are small to medium-sized enterprises, and that gave us the angle we needed for their animated explainer video, which demonstrated creative ways of using the CQueues app by bakeries, shops, warehouses, and other SMEs that are prime potential users for our client! The video was an immediate success and helped grab the specific audience's attention, with our client witnessing improvements across all key metrics.

See this project in detail on Behance

#3 Global Covid-19 Prevention: Animated Educational Video by Stanford Medicine 

Animations are a great medium through which to educate audiences, and nothing captures that better than this excellent animated educational video by Stanford. The video shares key information about the pandemic, offers compelling stories that showcase the human side of the tragedy, and then goes over simple, actionable steps viewers can take to impede the spread of the disease and protect themselves and their loved ones. It is a masterclass in how animated educational videos can simplify complex ideas for a general audience, and it was well received by viewers and the scientific community alike.

#4 Good Cyber Stories: Animated Educational Video

Improving cybersecurity is one of the primary directives of the EU, and the EU's Cyber Diplomacy Initiative has been tasked with raising awareness about cybercrime. They approached us to create an educational animation video that showcases the benefits of cyber initiatives to the general public, which largely doesn't understand cybercrime or initiatives to prevent it.

To demonstrate the value proposition of cyber initiatives, our animated educational video starts by reminding viewers of all the ways they rely on the internet, from shopping to research, health, and much more and how a lack of cybersecurity can affect all these activities. Then, once we've captured the viewers' attention and they understand what's at stake, we then proceed by going over all the initiatives our client is engaging in to make EU citizens safer. The campaign was an immediate success, and our client saw positive feedback from regular citizens and policymakers!

See this project in detail on Behance

#5 McDonald's Japanese Animated Commercial 

In an effort to break into the Japanese market, McDonald's released a series of animated videos that were designed specifically to appeal to a Japanese audience. Not only did these videos adopt the aesthetics and imagery often associated with animations produced by Japan, but they also highlighted products that are particularly popular with the Japanese market, improving both their sales and brand recognition.

#6 Honda Civic: Brand Video 

Honda is one of the oldest car brands in the world, and when they approached us to design an animated video celebrating their 50th anniversary, we knew what kind of angle we wanted to take: Showcasing Honda's most iconic cars throughout its 50 years of existence. This not only creates appealing and evocative imagery but also shows potential clients that Honda, as a brand, has stood the test of time and has created reliable automobiles time after time. This is how video marketers demonstrate the value of a brand to potential clients!

See this project in detail on Behance

#7 Near: Animated Promotional Video 

See this project in detail on Behance

At Pigeon Studio, we were tasked with creating a promotional video for a blockchain business's participation in a global tech event in Bangkok. Relying on iconic Asian imagery mixed with the modernity of blockchain and references to the location of the event, we were able to create an eye-catching promotional ad that helped introduce their in-event and online audience to their brand and product's features.

Why Are Animated Marketing Videos Effective? 

Animated video marketing has seen an unparalleled surge in recent years, and this is both due to a changing media landscape and the previously unexplored potential of animation as a medium to tell a compelling narrative that engages potential customers. Here are the key benefits of animation and why your company should consider using them in their own projects: 

• They Are More Engaging 

Study after study shows that animated videos have better engagement metrics compared to other forms of advertisement. This isn't just true for traditional banner ads and email ads but also high-production live-action videos. 

Animated video content is more unique and colourful, helping it stand out and attract potential customers. This is highly valuable, especially in today's ad-saturated world. From startups to the Fortune 500, many companies rely on animated ads to get customers' eyes on a new product or service! 

• They Are Cost Effective 

How does the production process of a typical live-action marketing ad go? You start by finding an expensive set to shoot the ad at, then you interview hundreds of actors to find ones that match the roles. There are the contracts to work out, of course. Then and only then can production of the ad begin, and more than likely, you'll need to do multiple takes before you produce an ad that satisfies your standards of quality. All of this takes an immense amount of money, which is why only very large companies have the capital necessary to rely on live-action promotional video marketing regularly. 

Animated marketing videos, on the other hand, are relatively simpler to make. Beyond voiceovers, there is no need for actors. Everything from the animation to the music to the art can be done in-house at the animation studio. The client can make minute changes to the animation without the need for reshooting or recomposing the scenes. 

• They Allow for More Freedom and Creativity 

The medium of animation isn't held by any physical restrictions - the creativity of the artists and designers are the only limiting factors in what ideas, objects, and characters are possible in animated marketing videos. 

This allows companies a lot of leeway in how they approach their audience. This flexibility is highly valued and can directly result in more targeted, more effective, and more appealing marketing campaigns with thoughtful design and artwork that directly appeals to the target audience. 

• They Communicate Ideas and Messages More Effectively 

Animated videos are by far one of the best ways to communicate complex concepts. This very fact is precisely why many educational apps, TV channels, or adverts rely on animated videos. But it doesn't just stop there. From tutorials to product videos, animated videos excel time and time again at communicating complex ideas more effectively and are a valuable resource for companies looking to simplify their services/products and appeal to a broader audience. From explaining all the key features of a product to answering frequently asked questions and how-to videos, animated videos provide for an excellent way to communicate with a broader audience. 

How Do We Approach Promotional Video Production at Pigeon Studio? 

With a skilled team, extensive experience, and a vibrant portfolio, at Pigeon Studio, we approach every animation project on an individual basis and work closely with our clients to create animated marketing videos with proper stylization, broad appeal, and effective messaging. Read on to learn more about how we approach projects: 

#1 We Work Closely with Our Clients

Starting and managing marketing campaigns can be quite complex. From agreeing on contractual details to ensuring the animation style and storyboarding fit your company's brand and releasing and monitoring the advertisements, there are many details that need to be worked out. 

Constant and transparent communication and cooperation between the animation studio and the client is the key to a successful project: This is the mantra we live by here at Studio Pigeon. 

From discussing the project details down to the last detail with the client to involving them in the story-boarding and animation process and constantly communicating and sharing progress on the project while incorporating their input along the way. 

#2 Comprehensive Services

At Pigeon Studio, we do more than just craft animations. We do market research, storyboarding, and character creation. Our team is ready and excited to work closely with your marketing teams to come up with concepts, ideas, and graphics that truly assert your brand's identity and ensure the animated video content fits your expectations, needs, and standards. 

Creating animated content is a relatively simple process, ensuring the animated content matches the client's design and aesthetics, ensuring the characters and animation appeal to the target audience, and meticulously introducing important product/service features that will improve brand visibility and engagement are how an animated video truly shines and provides the high conversion rates and engagement metrics big brands are looking for - this is the type and quality of services we provide here at Pigeon Studio. 

#3 We Rely on the Latest Advances in Animation and Marketing Technologies 

Pigeon Studio prides itself on its judicious and consistent use of cutting-edge technologies in animation, AI, production, and marketing. Our team continuously and consistently keeps up with the latest tools, techniques, and trends, and we are ready to employ that knowledge to ensure your marketing efforts succeed. 

By crafting professional, visually appealing videos that leverage the latest in CGI and animation technologies and are carefully crafted using the latest animation techniques, we can ensure that your animated marketing videos are produced to the highest standards and help assert your brand identity and popularise your products and services. 

Animated Marketing Video Campaign FAQ

Can I Use Animated Marketing Videos in [Insert Industry]?

Though animated videos are often associated with entertainment and food and beverages industries, this has quickly begun to change in recent years, and in fact, nowadays, companies from across the economy from B2B financial service providers to high-end consumer products manufacturers rely on animations to broaden their appeal and reach target audiences. 

Animations' ability to communicate complex ideas in an engaging way, their vibrant colors, and their viral appeal make them an excellent choice regardless of industry or audience. 

Can Companies Create Their Own Animated Marketing Videos? 

Creating animated videos isn't only a highly time-consuming and technical task, it also requires artistic experience, ensemble work from a team of designers, and voiceovers and post-production clean-up. In other words, most companies can't take a DIY approach to video production in-house and need to rely on animation companies. 

Thankfully, there are reliable, affordable, and professional animation companies that can help you attract new customers using highly attractive and professional videos, and you've just found one! Pigeon Studio is ready to help you bring your project to life!