5 Advantages of Animated Commercials
Some of the very first TV commercials were animated and as the format has evolved over the decades, animated commercials remain hugely popular. But why is that? Some reasons are creative, some are marketing-driven, but if you want to create a commercial that gets its message across powerfully and memorably, animation should be given strong consideration. In this blog we look at the reasons animated commercials have retained their appeal.
1. Creating Amazement
Animation started off as an artform, as a way to make static drawings move so they would come to life and tell stories in a more captivating way. This deep connection between art and animation has always remained, even when used for commercial purposes. People are drawn (pardon the pun) to the aesthetics of good art and animated characters instantly evoke strong emotions within us.
What's more, animation has few limitations for artists' creativity. They can create fantastic worlds, make people and objects do incredible things. Animation can create scenes that are impossible in the 'real' world.This gives it a huge advantage over filmed reality. An image that is unique and powerful is far more likely to make a lasting impact on us than a scene from everyday reality.
Coca cola happiness factory
Japanese anime commercials constantly
push the bar for commercials as an artform.
2. A Clear Message
The primary aim of a commercial is to convey a message in a clear and concise way so that the audience understands it and reacts to it. To do this, you need to grab the audience's attention and keep it. Animation is perfect for this. By removing unnecessary detail and distractions, it is possible to concentrate purely on the most important points of the message and distill them into a laser-focused storyline. Sometimes less is more.
To convey a message that might be complex in a very short time, such as tech or pharmaceutical products, it's crucial that every second is used to give maximum impact.
This is why animation is also ideal for educational films, explainer videos and infomercials. A subject that might otherwise be dull and boring if filmed in real life can be energized with colour and freshness using animation. This is vital with today's attention-span lacking audiences.
3. Cost-effectiveness
The arrival of CGI has meant that reality can be augmented to create the same kind of fantasy that animation can, but you need a big budget to do it. Animation remains the most cost-effective way of telling a story. There's no need for expensive locations, film crews or the other costs that quickly add up during a live shoot.
The graphic nature of animation means that the style and imagery can easily be adapted across other formats - screens, websites, print, merchandising etc. This is especially true for apps, whose rise has been a boon for animation as it is ideally suited for the visuals on mobile screens.
There is also an incredible pool of animation talent out there who are eager to work on commercials. Many animators and animation studios switch effortlessly between commercials and short or long content films. In this way they can keep their creative and technical skills sharp while also helping their cash flow.
4. Appeal to all ages
Early 2D animation had many different styles but there was definitely a strong influence from the early comic strips popular in daily newspapers around the same time as a visually linear way of telling a story. The similarity between the two meant the word cartoon was used for both formats. Cartoons have come to be associated with a style of animation directed more towards children.
This in turn has always meant that cartoons have an appeal across all ages since children inevitably turn into adults but retain that love of a form of entertainment that was a crucial part of their childhood. Watching cartoons triggers happy emotions.
There is an innocence and playfulness about animation that instantly gives it a universal charm. Appealing to a broad audience also gives a brand a feelgood user-friendliness which creates a positive impression. Cartoon characters are an essential part of the DNA of animation. They are often used in commercials as they are unique and memorable. Branding is about making your product stand out from the crowd and it was quickly realized that these characters were a perfect way to do this.
Roadrunner
5. Timeless and Iconic
There is a timeless quality to animation. Fashions and styles move quickly so that live action commercials become quickly dated and redundant. But animation, like a fine wine, can even improve with age, taking on new meaning and perspective.
Animation possesses key unique qualities that, when combined together, set it apart from other mediums: its artistic history and roots. the sense of limitless imagination and creativity. the simplicity of it's visual style. its ability to tap into nostalgia and childlike enthusiasm.
Together they create a medium that is effortlessly iconic and that can create a unique, easily recognizable identity for a brand. In the advertising industry, this is a priceless commodity.
An early ad for Mr Clean whose
iconic image is still with us today.