Animated advertising is like a swiss army knife for storytellers – it lets us lose our grip on reality for just a few moments. Animated advertisements are better at telling happy stories or breaking bad news. Furthermore, they can tell a complete story in a shorter amount of time.
We’ve seen the power of animation at play first hand, and we recommend it to any company that needs to reach a younger audience, convey a serious message to a non-specialized audience, or be seen as fun.
Here are our favorite animated campaigns of all time.
1. iTrade
Though you may not know it, iTrade is one of the largest and most influential companies in the U.S. economy. They help track food from farms to stores, ensuring that nothing spoils along the way. Our first video with them went viral in their field and netted them considerable increases in business, and we’ve continued to create with them ever since.
iTrade has been one of our partners for some time now, and we love telling the incredibly human stories for them. We love this animation for the nostalgia that it’s able to convey.
2. Ben & Jerry’s
Ben & Jerry’s has always been a whimsical brand that focuses on fun and presentation. To celebrate their business’s anniversary in 2016, Ben & Jerry’s decided to commission an animation that captured their fun and sometimes eccentric aesthetic to tell the company’s origin story.
Ben & Jerry’s hired a company called Mekanism to produce the film and Mekanism hired Rip Media Group to act as the creative force behind their production. The video was a smash hit and now lives on television in their factory to be shown during tours.
3. Google
Animation allowed Google to ideliver an incredibly detailed message with a light, and easily digestible touch that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.
In this particular example, Google used animation to introduce project sunroof. Project sunroof was an initiative by Google to promote solar power in locations where it would make the most sense using heat mapping combined with Google Maps. We love the way that an animated advertisement brought this dry science to life.
4. International Home Foods
You may not have heard of “Maypo” before, but ask your grandparents about this iconic ad.
Created by John Hubley, a prominent animator in the latter half of the 1900s, the animated ad “I want my Maypo” lodged a brand that had lived in relative obscurity into the hearts and minds of Americans everywhere. In fact, “I want my Maypo” might be the best use of animation that you might not have heard of… until now.
We love this ad because it shows just how much emotion and humor can be conveyed with the simplest of stories and setups.
5. Coca-Cola
Polar bears are a staple of Coca Cola’s advertising – they’ve been featured in Coke ads since 1922. However, Coke didn’t animate their polar bears until 1993 when ad animation company Rhythm & Hues made the bears into soda-loving, Pixar-esque characters.
Animation made the bears, and subsequently, Coke’s advertising, more human and approachable. We love this example of advertising animation for the amount of humanity that it’s able to convey.
6. Dropbox
Dropbox isn’t a cool company – even though their net worth reaches around 10 billion. That’s why animation was perfect for them. The easy way that animation conveyed Dropbox’s message is evident because their marketing went viral, with over 12 million views on YouTube.
We love their advertisement for how it shows animation’s ability to make even the most tricky subject approachable.
7. Geico
The Geico Gecko has a slightly checkered past. It was created as a workaround during a Screen Actors Guild strike in 1999 so that Geico could advertise without hiring actors. However, luck was on Geico’s side with this ad animation. The Geico Gecko has become one of Geico’s longest-running ad campaigns and an essential branding move.
We love this piece of animation because it shows how well-animated ads can innovate in a restricted environment.
8. Haagen-Dazs
Haagen- Dazs’s brand focuses on community and interpersonal relationships. They make the statement that ice cream isn’t just a treat; it’s a way to build your relationships. Working with the U.K. firm “School of Life,” they created an animated ad for Valentine’s Day.
Haagen-Dazs’s use of animated ads is a perfect example of how companies can use animation to appeal directly to emotions.
9. Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer is a great example of a company that used animation for good. The U.K. food and clothing store used animation to promote an initiative where people would donate clothes to charity by returning them to the store where they bought them. The animation-promoted initiative has since raised nearly 16 million dollars.
We love this animation example because it shows just how easily animation can promote goodwill within a community.
10. American Express
American Express rebranded in 2016 to a commerce and “digital science” model from their old financial public face. Leading this change was an animated ad that targeted college graduates and tech professionals.
We love this example because it demonstrates how easily animation can help your company switch tones.
11. Chipotle
Chipotle – Back to the Start from Nexus Studios on Vimeo.
Chipotle, known for its fantastic burritos and high quality ingredients launched their animation “Back to the Start” eight years ago to appeal to health conscious eaters who still wanted to indulge themselves. This 3D animation showed farm animals eating unhealthily and blowing up like balloons, visually illustrating how bad the food they were given was.
This powerful visual metaphor allowed Chipotle to nearly corner the market of healthy fast-food options. Just think, when was the first time you heard about Chipotle? If you think back 8 years you’ll probably have your answer.
What Else Is Animated Advertising Good For?
Animated advertising is good for so much more!
Animation’s most significant selling point is its versatility. Just check out the variety of videos that we’ve been able to create for our clients. If you want to put animation into your advertising line up, reach out to us. We’d be happy to help.