Google does a ZooZoo lookalike and nails it with their new Android One ad series
Google shows a whole new way of using video advertising for a product launch of their new android one phone. Check other animated brand explainer videos.
I was almost always of the belief that animated videos will never work in a B2C context. This is the reason I never became party to this whole new concept in video marketing called “Brand Explainer Videos”. Slowly, such brand explainer videos had become common for new start-ups with low-budget to explain about their brand or product. I, on the contrary used to think that until and unless you come up with a strong story line with Pixar level of animation quality, it wont leave an impact. Why would your target audience want to talk about a video with stick figures explaining your product in a template format.
Here’s one such example from CouponDunia. The ad might have worked for them, the reason they spent so much money on Youtube to promote it. It still irritated me every time it played before my Youtube video. Very tactical but I guess delivers the point.
COUPON DUNIA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffSL5pMmUNw
Here’s another start-up Hiree trying to explain how they work.
HIREE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i38lBLFv1wQ
These animated videos are not only limited to start-ups but also for companies with big budgets. However, the template almost always remains the same.
Introduce a character
Talk about his/her problem
Introduce your product – as the solution
SBI LIFE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1PV1gVLAdw
Even before Olx started their whole #BechDe campaign with Kapil Sharma, they came up with their own no-brainer product explainer animated video.
Olx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpmKWOcLsao
Why do companies go for explainer videos?
The logic behind brands doing such videos is simply because they have low budgets and a complicated product that the target audience is not aware of. An explainer animation video saves a lot of production cost and time. It is relatively low risk. The main goal at hand is to explain the audience what is this new service all about and how they can help you. These videos become good introductory videos to explain people coming to your website or youtube channel.
At the same time, the likes of Linkedin and a relatively new dating company called TrulyMadly did do justice to the “animated video to explain your point” phenomena
LINKEDIN – WHO’S VIEWED YOUR PROFILE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zUSjGVoTTs
TRULY MADLY MAN PARADE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xjy3jFFcNY
Now because of the above examples in front of me as well as my understanding that animated videos almost never appeal, are not shareable and the audience barely want to listen to the banal music and template driven story line, I had lost faith in animation replacing actual TV ads. However, here comes Google with their whole new animated series to promote Lava Pixel v1 powered by android one.
Who else to come up with a better YouTube mast head than the owner’s of YouTube themselves
The characters are unique and cute. They are colorful stick figures in line with Google’s brand style guide. The series of animated videos are made to stress on different points and features of lava pixel v1 powered by android one. Catchy and relevant hindi songs are being used in the background that blend extremely well with the masses as well.
Android One: New Baby #BundleOfJoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n43HusOGuiM
Android One: Hairstyle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5oAvVHR8pc
Android One: Date
https://youtu.be/eo9IhBXGLTM
What do we know? What have we learnt?
- The expectations from animated videos when done in a template format should be to serve its purpose as a introductory, explainer video and nothing else
- Animated videos have the ability to replace TV ads and evoke almost the same emotion if either they are of really high quality or if they tell a compelling story or both.
- Don’t discard brand/product explainer videos yet because they still might stay your go-to thing when you have less budget and time. It might work for the time being.
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August 3, 2015
I agree with your point that explainer videos can feel like they’re questioning the viewer’s intelligence because of how stupidly simple they are. But sometimes, your business asks for it, as you’ve rightly pointed out.
The Android One videos that you shared, are really fun, hadn’t seen those before. But do they fall under explainer style videos? I think they’re ads, with an interesting storyline, catchy jingle, but the look of an explainer video with animated characters (for staying within a budget, maybe?). Something similar to this ICICI ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN-sOenUbxM
If you see the Google Adwords videos, those are closer to the explainer video genre.
August 3, 2015
Hi Ritwika,
Completely agree, the Android One videos do not fall under explainer style videos. They are definitely ads. My point was to make a comparison with using animation in advertising and in the process introducing explainer videos where animation has been used most as far as advertising is concerned. The Android One ads could have easily been full production non-animated ads with the same script and execution. The Google Adwords videos fall under the category of “How To” videos than explainer videos, there’s a thin line, I guess.
Thank you so much for reading. Keep coming back 🙂
January 9, 2016
Hi Prateek,
I would just like to give my comment here as it pertains to my industry specifically. So I would just like to add a few more points.
The “template” based video, LinkedIn video and Google Android video are all animation and yet they are so completely different that most people have a gut feeling that they are indeed different.
However, most people are not very clear what makes one better or worse than the other.
Let me try and explain :
The “template” style videos come from the background of old school marketing that says that products have a USP, features, benefits and they solve a problem for their customers. To have a effective marketing,it all needs to be tied up together. Actually it almost comes out like a formula.
Create a context, state the problem, introduce the solution, give additional features, testimonials and the CTA. You are done.
You can see where all this began : https://blog.kissmetrics.com/creating-a-explainer-video/
So all that animation agencies and DIY’ers just plug in the formula and presto….you have a animation video.
And for people on a budget, hiring freelancers was easy and cheap. No need for expensive copywriters.
Most startups have founders are technical orientedand rarely have time or the knowledge to understand the basics of branding, marketing, storytelling. As long as they get a video, it gives them the satisfaction that they have done a great job.
LinkedIn video and TrulyMadlyDeeply are concept based explainer videos.Both use humour quite effectively. It requires bigger budgets for a team to conceptualize and put all this together. But it uses the same information.Same information but using storytelling concepts.
Definitely more entertaining and interesting than the first videos.
Android Ads are concept based Advertising spots, not explainer videos. The focus is on a single message at the end which basically drives the story of the Ad. Add to it catchy tunes and jingles, they can evoke emotions and make mundane stuff interesting.
But like any other industry, animation and animation techniques are evolving. Just have a look around Vimeo and there are animated videos which are simply brilliant.
Animators are using storytelling, rich imagery and cinematic techniques to take explainer videos and ad videos to another level.
It frustrates me when clients come in with small budgets and expect Hollywood style Animation. 🙂