Animations offer a lot to the right audience, and can be an amazing part of your marketing strategy. From simple motion graphics pieces through stop-motion, hand-rendered work to realistic 3D, there’s a huge amount to explore. But how do you know when animation is the right fit for your brief? Here, we break it down for you.
When is animation a good idea?
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When you have a complicated message to get across
Animation can often suit a brief where complex ideas need to be simplified and presented in a more enjoyable, accessible way. You’re not bound by the constraints of reality as you are with live video. Want your video to contain sentient objects or graphs that talk? That can be arranged. You’re completely free to harness the power of whatever visual metaphor might work for your messaging.
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When you really want to make a connection
You know your audience and what they want better than anyone. If you think they would appreciate something stylized - whether that be human and personal, or humorous and quirky - working with an animator who can nail your desired aesthetic can help you craft something they will really connect with. The sky's the limit when it comes to the visuals, and the tone of your brand can completely dictate the aesthetic.
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When you want to evoke a strong emotion
Animated visuals can be an amazing tool for creating heightened emotion and, as a result, it’s an incredibly evocative medium. Working with the right artist and communicating how you want a viewer to feel when they’re watching your video can create wonderful results, whether it’s a positive, inspirational vibe that you want, or a more sensitive, subdued tone.
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When you want to cut through the noise and hold your audience’s attention
Attention spans get shorter every day and digitally-literate consumers grow more and more used to the glut of video content filling their newsfeed. If you need to make an impression in a space that’s typically a little cynical, or where consumers are used to seeing hundreds of ads, it can be useful to leverage the connotations of an original and well-crafted animation as more authentically creative. Of course, there are a lot of flat, 2D motion graphics explainers floating around social media. But, if your animation is high quality and beautifully executed, its legitimacy as an art form can lend your campaign credibility and catch the attention of even the most seasoned scroller.
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When you need something to come together remotely
In a perfect world, you make important choices about your marketing strategy from a purely creative perspective. Accordingly, the decision to commission an animation should be based on the clear benefits it will bring to your strategy. However, it’s sometimes necessary to prioritise practical considerations. On occasions when filming is out of the question, your team is working remotely, or your clients or colleagues are based abroad, working with animation can be a great choice. Many animators have a home studio set-up and the creative team you employ will be able to manage production virtually. At Flying Object, we continued to create animated video throughout the coronavirus lockdown with no need for in-person contact.
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When you need a smaller budget to stretch a long way
There’s a misconception that animation is expensive. People hear “animation”, think Pixar or Aardman, and assume the whole thing takes months and a huge team. But creating something impactful and well-crafted doesn’t have to be expensive. There are a number of creative solutions to streamline and simplify without compromising on effectiveness. As a result, animation productions are often more economical than film shoots.
Ultimately, if you’re going to make animated video a part of your marketing strategy, you need to make sure it truly makes sense for your brief - and not just that you saw another brand put out a cool animation and thought it would be fun. That being said, working with animation offers tons of benefits and the process can be shaped to fit your unique needs. At Flying Object, we’re used to walking our clients through the variety of different approaches you can take to creating video content, and the talented animators we work with are full of exciting ideas to help bring your vision to life. If you’d like to explore your options, give us a shout.