In short: it is a short advertising film that uses various animation techniques: from traditional techniques, i.e. hand-drawn, to puppet animation or 3D animation. Such a spot can be used both on television and in paid campaigns on the internet, e.g. on social media or industry websites. Its main purpose is to convey a short marketing or sales message. Depending on the target group it is aimed at, it can take very different forms. However, it is always based on an interesting scenario and a narrative that captures the viewer's attention from the first second.
The most important feature is the very short duration, usually between 5 and 60 seconds. This means that commercials have to be very dynamic in order to not only catch the viewer's attention in a short period of time, but also to convey all the relevant information.
A targeted message is also very important. Advertising commercials are usually designed to convey a specific advertising or sales message. In this way, they can encourage purchase, build brand awareness or quickly present specific product features.
Storytelling and a creative approach play a huge part in this. Animation is a great medium for this. Not only can it attract attention with its unique look, but it can also evoke specific emotions with its unusual way of telling a story, which would be difficult to achieve with commercials shot in the traditional way, i.e. with a camera. This in turn can translate into positive associations with the advertised brand or product.
Since advertising commercials are often shown repeatedly in different media in order to reach the largest possible audience, it is often a good idea to prepare 2-3 versions of such animated shorts. In this way, such adverts stay in the viewer's mind for longer, but at the same time they are part of a larger story and simply do not get boring. And sometimes they become viral.
Sometimes advertising commercials include a CTA or Call To Action at the end, such as 'Buy now' or 'Visit our website'. The CTA is designed to prompt the viewer to take a specific action after viewing the ad, but its use depends on the purpose the spot is designed to achieve.
Advertising commercials are an important marketing tool to reach a wide audience and promote products or services through paid campaigns. Increasingly, however, in order to stand out from the large number of advertisements, advertisers are reaching for non-standard solutions just to attract the attention of their audience. Animation is an ideal solution for this. Not only can it attract interest with an interesting story, told in an exciting way, but above all it can distinguish itself visually from other advertisements. From the unconventional way in which the product is presented, to creating a brand hero that can be used in campaigns for many years to come.