When you mention “animated ads,” many people immediately think of online content or even content only for children. But the truth is, animated marketing videos can be one of the best ways to create effective marketing content for any platform. Read on to see 20 successful examples of animated commercials and breakdowns of why they work so well.
- Play With Oreo
- Self Credit - Build Your Credit
- Catch Animated Commercial
- Premium Zen Animated Ad
- Why does Starbucks blend coffee?
- A Can Size for Every Aussie!
- SLURPEE Animated Advertisement
- A Million Dreams
- Rock, Paper, Scissors
- Always Working on our Happy Meal
- Yota Animated Commercial
- Selfwealth
- Headhunter
- Air Canada
- Havaianas
- Lenovo – Yoga Book
- Michelin
- Acer
- Nouns.wtf
- Samsung Biologics
1. Play with Oreo
When you create a commercial to specifically run on cartoon networks, then you need to create something that will be outstanding, colorful, and funny enough to distract from the rest of the content that already has all those features. In addition to this is the fact that kids have shorter attention spans than adults, making it even harder to find ways to reach them.
Oreo came up with a brilliant idea of “Play” that works with not only the young audience, but also the grown-ups since Oreos are a product that people of all ages love. Keeping this in mind, Oreo produced the "Play with Oreo" video that with its smooth transitions, colors, and positive characters attracts even the most hard-to-reach viewer.
The video ad was a great success, and in collaboration with different graffiti artists created wall art projects illustrating the idea of play.
The Oreo animated ad is fantastic, inspiring creatives with a new source of original ideas for creating animated ads for children.
2. Self Credit - Build Your Credit
Created in 2D motion graphics, this Self financial video sells its idea in just 20 seconds. The video inspires with its fantastic simple introduction to complex financial services, and with its minimal yet captivating design and clear explanation it’s the perfect package.
2D animation can create impressive visuals countless ways, and for motion artists, this style gives freedom to experiment with different textures, styles, and movements. Another reason 2D animation is becoming more popular for creating animated ads is that it costs less and consumes less time for production compared to 3D or stop-motion animation. So, if you're thinking about which style of animation to choose for your TV advertisement, then 2D motion graphics should be on your radar.
3. Catch Animated Commercial
Of course, when talking about animated ads, we couldn't skip the legendary Coca-Cola “Catch" video.
The polar bears first appeared in Coca-Cola commercials in 1993 in another animated commercial called "Northern Lights''. Later in a 2012 Super Bowl ad, the same polar bears were back in this iconic animated ad "Catch".
The video highlights the meaning and experiences different people have sharing a bottle of Coca-Cola. The brilliant animation paced expertly with Beethoven's 5th Symphony is entirely captivating and successfully recreates the emotion of celebrating happy moments together.
Coca-Cola has been around for many years, and we can say for sure that this company is one that loves using animated commercials and we can expect to see more great animated marketing content from them in the future.
4. Premium Zen Animated Ad
As youngsters are the most active users of different music streaming platforms, Spotify decided to try to capture a higher age demographic. In this Premium Zen video, Spotify makes it clear right out of the gate that this ad is going after an older market segment.
Selecting Spandau Ballet - True - one of the most popular songs from 80's - they are aiming directly for the 50 and older crowd, adding a character that matches the that niche.
If you were thinking that animation only works with younger viewers, watch this video and your perception will surely change.
5. Why does Starbucks blend coffee?
The feeling after watching an ad that you've just smelled or felt something is a sure sign that marketing is working.
Creating ads for food and beverage products differs from other types of product marketing. One of the major keys for these industries is stimulating an actual experience of taste and smell. Of course, ads neither smell nor have flavor, but getting sound design and visuals just right can evoke those senses and trigger emotional responses.
There’s no difference if you're using animation or live-action in your video, the important thing here is to create a harmony between three things: your product, the visual content, and the sound design. When those three things come together, you’ll get as close as you can to mimicking the feeling of enjoying coffee like we see in this Starbucks Blend video. Your viewer will be engaged, they’ll smell fresh coffee even if they’re sitting on the couch, and that's what effective advertising is all about.
6. A Can Size for Every Aussie!
How do stories in advertisements work?
When people hear or watch a good story, they subconsciously visualize themselves in that story. And of course, the next time when they hear or see something related to that story, they automatically feel connected and give preference to that brand or product. All that happens subconsciously.
Of course, sharing stories is a great idea for marketing, but you should have a good story to share. Like the "A Can Size for Every Aussie!" story. This is what a real advertisement should be like. No obvious mention of selling something, just a beautiful family story that will capture any viewer.
With high-quality visuals, this animated marketing video turned into a little movie that for the past few years on the internet has gained more than 73 million views. And that’s not even counting the exposure on TV! So, the next time you're looking for great ideas on what your animated ad should be like, take a look at this beautiful piece of advertisement and get inspired for creating a captivating story.
7. SLURPEE Animated Advertisement
The potential of 2D motion graphics is still underestimated, as most people perceive this form of animation more as an internet-based form of content. But the reality is that this style of animation is suitable both for TV and internet channels.
The Slurpee video is a perfect example that shows how with 2D motion graphics, you can create incredible visuals that are just as good as 3D.
Targeting the young generation, the video keeps it active, colorful, and accessible with natural elements like flowers and fruits. Introducing the new design of their product, they still were able to keep the video under 15 seconds, making it even more engaging.
8. A Million Dreams
Advertisement is a great way to increase brand authority. Huawei's "A Million Dreams" video shows the other side of the company; one that cares about the people and environmental challenges.
Guided by a tiny robot, the spot takes the viewer through the places where Huawei technologies help people improve their lives and build a more sustainable future. With a wood grain texture, they also align with their message of helping to protect the environment. The ad is inspiring and fills the viewer with positive feelings that of course from now on will be associated with the brand as well.
9. Rock, Paper, Scissors
This video is part of an anti-bullying campaign by Android and though it looks more like a social campaign, the end of the video makes it obvious it clearly has a marketing angle.
With a simple presentation of rock, paper, and scissors, the company shows the human side of their brand and explains why being different is so important. In every frame of the video, it shows the company’s standpoint in such a heartwarming way that it can win over even the most jaded viewer.
10. Always Working on our Happy Meal
Animation quality through the last couple of years has changed a lot, improving day by day. But when you go through the McDonald's animated ads made 8 or 10 years ago, you don't see much change - they look like newly released animations. With their smooth transitions, color, and style decisions, they look incredible even to this day.
McDonald's has launched many Happy Meal videos, all targeting kids, but this time the "Always Working on our Happy Meal" video targets another group of people - the parents.
Concentrating on this particular group, they decided to develop an ideal and natural environment that shows their work creating better and healthier options for kids.
Using stop-motion, the creators enhance reality; causing the message to make a larger impact. Every small detail here has meaning and strengthens the message that McDonald’s is "Always Working on Our Happy Meal.”
11. Yota Animated Commercial
Nostalgia is an inspiring emotion you can tap into with animated commercials. The mobile network Yota does an excellent job of using 1990s-style video gaming imagery to hook viewers and introduce their less expensive alternative to big-name providers.
Yota demonstrates the cost savings for talk and text data through each character’s health or hit points (HP). The reference fits the theme of the animated ad and perfectly communicates the services’ cost to viewers.
12. Selfwealth
Our next example of animation in advertising is from Selfwealth. The stock market trading platform uses multimedia and absurdism to deliver its “Got Dreams? Let’s Grow Them” marketing campaign.
By overlaying gigantic characters over live-action shots, Selfwealth proposes that if viewers use their app, they can grow their fortune and achieve their larger-than-life dreams. Selfwealth also accompanies visuals with growth-themed background music to drive the messaging.
Absurd imagery is an excellent way to capture the audience’s attention and relate the visuals to your value proposition.
13. Headhunter
Your animated commercials can also use pop culture to create a connection with your audience. Headhunter’s advertisement features an anime hero’s journey theme to relate to ‘small business superheroes’ looking for help.
Choosing relatable video styles captures viewers' attention, makes a lasting impression, and keeps them engaged until the final frame. Anime is extremely popular right now, but you can also use other animation styles to connect and captivate your audience.
Just make sure you are being inspired by other artists rather than knocking them off.
14. Air Canada
No one should ever underestimate the power of family when producing animation advertisements.
Air Canada pulls at the heartstrings of its viewers by telling the story of a baby duck separated from its parents. The cuteness brings in the viewer, and they can’t help but be invested in what happens to the lost duck. Once the ad ends and the family is reunited, it’s impossible not to get a heartwarming feeling and start looking at the flight home.
15. Havaianas
If you only have 30 seconds for your animated advertisement, consider an upbeat pace complimented by bright colors and exciting visuals. This approach will hook your viewer early and keep them engaged so you can deliver your offering.
The sandal manufacturing company, Havaianas, executes this strategy flawlessly, and it fits its branding to a tee. From the upbeat music and fast-paced voice-over to the exhilarating animation and exotic color pallet, viewers can’t look away. To ensure the product doesn’t get lost in the excitement, Havaianas scales up the sandal proportions making the focal point in the ad.
16. Lenovo – Yoga Book
Lenovo, a leading computer manufacturer, delivers one of the best-animated commercials due to high-quality dialogue and script writing. They are promoting the Yoga Book, a creator-centric tablet designed to help artists, particularly writers and book illustrators, express themselves.
The producers understand their target audience and build a script around their desires. Poetry and animation help connect with viewers who are most likely to benefit from the Yoga Book. Appeal to your audience by researching their needs and leaning into what truly moves them.
17. Michelin
Relatable storytelling will help potential customers draw a connection between their lives and your product. Michelin tells the story of a mom getting a flat tire and risking disappointing her kids in the animated advertisement above.
Once you’ve made a connection, you can sell the audience what separates your product from the competition. In the case of Michelin, a tire company that uses patented SelfSeal Technology, the day was saved because of the product's durability against nails.
18. Acer
If you want to produce elegant, visually stunning animated ads, consider 3D. The style can deliver highly detailed visuals that draw the viewer’s eye into the advertisement.
Acer utilizes premium 3D modeling for its Green Day sustainable manufacturing campaign. We watch pieces of plastic, string, and paper repurposed to create Acer’s story (another subtle and clever metaphor) to symbolize the company’s journey of shifting to eco-friendly materials.
3D can produce stunning animated commercials. However, we highly suggest getting help from an agency with experience in 3D, or your ads will look low budget.
19. Nouns.wtf
While the NFT boom may have passed, blockchain applications aren’t going anywhere. Nouns.wft understands there is an appetite for NFT, cryptocurrency, and DAO applications due to the recent failures of the initial wave of overhyped, low-value blockchain products.
The platform uses this desire to address the biggest questions in blockchain technology while featuring visuals unique to the space. For example, Nouns uses pixilated characters, popular video game imagery, and cryptocurrency coin logos to signal that they understand their target audience's needs.
Keep learning
10 Best Blockchain Business Explainer Videos
20. Samsung Biologics
Samsung chooses only to feature visuals, background music, text, and sound effects in its brand awareness campaign for its biotech division.
If you opt out of a voice-over, you’ll need to capture your viewers' attention in other ways. For example, Samsung uses a focal point, the light, to guide viewers through the ad and each line of text. The light evolves into a heart and then spreads, bringing color to the characters' lives.
Final Words
Hopefully you’ve found a lot of inspiration and great ideas for animated ads in this article. And remember, animation doesn’t mean just for kids, or online use. There are countless circumstances where it can be used effectively for adults or in other media channels. If you’d like to learn more about how an animated ad can help your business, reach out any time for a free consultation with our expert strategists.
