When you browse examples of various animated movies, you've surely noticed that they differ in terms of shapes, styles and colors. Are you wondering what animation technique to choose and which will be the best for your product and industry? What criteria should be used when choosing?

The style and line of animation should match the communication strategy of a given brand, be consistent with its character, target group and achieve marketing and business goals. In a word - the type of animation should be consistent with other forms of advertising your company. Below we will look at the most popular animation techniques: 2D and whiteboard animation, in order to present their differences, advantages and disadvantages. This will certainly help you decide what animation to choose.

White boards on which you write with a marker exist in almost every company in the training room. Whiteboard Animation is an animated equivalent of such a whiteboard, on which the hand draws objects and characters in real time, and the narrator translates and completes the scenes. The viewer, watching the drawing process live, at the same time focuses his attention on the presented content. The recipient's gaze follows the sequential movement of the pen and thus increases his involvement. The pictures drawn on the board in a clear and transparent way lead us step by step through difficult issues and concepts. Whiteboard animation is perfect for translating topics related to science, technology, explaining complex processes and concepts. The style of animation suits both the younger target group and the modern one, which does not like overly expressive advertising messages. The technique can also be used for a brand that communicates freely and uncompromisingly with its customers. Such drawings strengthen credibility, reduce the distance and warm up the company's image. Pictures can be drawn with a black line, but also their interior can be colored. Sometimes several scenes can fit on one sheet. Whiteboard animation is also perfect for educational content, e-learning and instructional materials, because it facilitates the absorption of knowledge. This type of animation will be an attractive form for creating presentations at conferences and webinars. The animation can be complemented by props, photos or other effects. The price of this animated film technique is lower than in the case of explainer video 2D, so it is certainly suitable for those clients for whom budget is the main selection criterion.

2D animation is a vector animation, it consists of objects drawn by hand in two dimensions, on paper or in a computer program. 2D graphics remind us of the drawings we used to draw in childhood. A 2D image is flat, so it cannot be shown at an angle or from a different perspective like in 3D animation. The benefit is that 2D animation has more movement and interaction than whiteboard animation. Specially designed characters move in different directions, blink their eyes, jump or run, and objects can freely move, appear and disappear. Colors and original 2D design attract attention and make it pleasant, and thus, to watch these types of films for longer. Here we have more possibilities to create the presented world than in the case of a white board. One scene after another connects sequentially through interesting transitions. This makes the story coherent. 2D will work well in all industries, especially when the animated film is based on storytelling and we care about greater creativity and abstract shapes. It should be emphasized that the 2D technique is a form of animation, while the style of the line and its character can be adjusted individually to preferences.

Each animation order requires an individual approach in terms of style, presentation and lines. Before we start working on the animation, our team conducts a conversation with the client to jointly adjust the product or service to the appropriate animation technique, of course based on the brand's communication strategy. The variety of techniques allows us to offer an offer that meets the expectations of the most demanding customers. If you have doubts about the choice of animation technique, please contact us. We are happy to advise and propose the best solution.

Whiteboard animation or 2D animation? Choose the best form for your product.

Explainer video is one of those video forms that make a good impression from the first moment and evoke positive associations. Recipients are more favorable to animation, because such an advertisement has an interesting graphic design, a story inspired by real life and characters that simply explain the service or product to us. Animated ads are like colorful operating instructions that briefly and clearly guide us through difficult processes. We do not perceive them as overly intrusive advertisements that force us to buy. On the contrary: we appreciate the educational role and credibility of a specific message in them.

So what should an explainer video look like that will not only appeal to the audience, but also make your brand more valuable? Below we will present some key elements that you should pay special attention to when creating an animated video. A good explainer video should:

be consistent with the information contained in the brief and with the company's marketing strategy - animation, like any other advertisement, is created after briefing the client and taking into account his comments;

explain a problem in an understandable way, present a solution or instruct customers on the next steps to take in order to use the service or offer - animation is primarily to be a carrier of information and explain what was previously incomprehensible or complicated;

have a concise, simple message and the so-called call to action, i.e. a call to action;

have a style, colors and character consistent with the personality of the brand - when your brand targets young people from generation Z, you can afford to present your services more dynamically, design a modern style and a "line" that will perfectly fit into the visual language that accepts young people and is trendy;

have a story based on which a product or service will be shown - storytelling has been gaining importance in marketing for a long time, it is much easier to understand certain phenomena and processes on a specific example, where there are characters with whom we can identify; many of us act by imitation and observation of others, so we make decisions faster if a character with the same problem explains to us what solution he found;

be visually attractive to stand out from other brands - the animation is to make the so-called "good first impression", to be remembered; those few seconds in contact with the customer are the most important, which is why interesting graphics, taking into account the key visual of the brand, will strengthen the message;

have a language and narrative in line with the target group - the animation will look different for insurance policy customers and for pet owners who buy food for their pets; in the second case, we can afford more freedom and humor in presenting the offer.

include background music or sounds that will enrich the animated images - you should also choose the right lector whose voice will match the presented service/product.

Explainer video is a business animation, so it's worth making sure that our advertising video contains all the above-mentioned elements. Colorful moving pictures can awaken our imagination. However, it should be borne in mind that it has a specific marketing goal, written in the brief. A professional animation studio like Crazy Cat always makes every effort to make it happen.

What elements should an explainer video contain that will benefit the brand?

Imagine you've decided to allocate your budget to a live-action movie ad. You rented a professional film studio for this, casting was carried out and selected actors, set designers prepared expensive sets and costumes were sewn. On the day of shooting, it suddenly turned out that the recording had to be stopped due to bad weather conditions. When filming can finally resume, the production manager announces that one of the main actors has fallen ill. Postponing deadlines on a film set generates costs and creates unnecessary organizational problems. In explainer video production, you can forget about such obstacles, because the entire film set is on the computer screen.

We present the top 10 reasons why you should choose an animated commercial instead of a live-action film. In the advertising animation:

you do not employ actors or a film crew – animated characters do not receive salaries or get sick, and often perform much better on the screen, their acting and style are always perfectly matched to the situation;

you do not organize castings for actors - the casting process takes a lot of time and also increases costs; in the explainer video you choose your characters from the suggestions presented in the storyboard, this significantly speeds up and facilitates production;

you don't need expensive scenography or costumes - in advertising animation it doesn't matter whether you choose a medieval castle or ancient Egyptian pyramids as a location; no place or expensive costumes are an obstacle to become the background of your dream film;

you do not have to arrange catering for the film set - animated characters do not stop their work for lunch or another coffee, what they need is a good graphic line;

you are not dependent on the weather – regardless of whether it is raining or windy, your advertisement will not lose its colors or the production calendar will not move;

you act freely - the sky is the limit - advertising animation will help you realize even your strangest and crazy ideas, what limits you is only your imagination;

you constantly supervise the creative process - you have the option of changing scenes, making corrections at every stage of work, without having to incur additional costs;

you reduce your budget - if you do not want to spend a fortune on advertising, business animation is an excellent choice; the saved money is better spent on the promotion of advertising materials;

your brand will become modern - vivid colors, abstract shapes, dynamic action, different perspectives - such a message will certainly attract the recipient's attention faster than film advertisements showing the gray reality;

you will better explain complex issues and abstract products - let's say you want to show a biological process from the laboratory or you want to explain step by step the purchasing process of your online store, it is much easier to explain it in an animated image than in a film camera.

To sum up: if you choose an animated film, you will reduce production costs and you can be sure that the ad will be ready on schedule. Advertising animation means greater flexibility, independence and endless creativity that will help you promote your brand. If you want to see for yourself that an explainer video is a great choice, visit crazycat.studio to see our explainer video productions.

10 reasons why you should choose an explainer video instead of a movie ad

Are you looking for a way to present your company's offer in an attractive and effective way or to explain how a product works? Or maybe you need to show a lot of intricate information in a short time?

The world is accelerating more and more, and thus the reaction time to the advertising message is also getting shorter. Recipients are currently stimulated by all kinds of forms of advertising. Many consumers have adblockers on ads due to their intrusive and persuasive tone. Marketers struggle with ideas on how to convey a message in a creative and understandable way, encouraging them to click on the ad.

The development of video marketing has resulted in explainer video gaining more interest and recognition from business customers. Due to its attractive graphic form, this type of message naturally focuses the attention of recipients, while providing the necessary information. This type of short 

 gains more credibility for viewers than in the case of standard advertising. Animated films are created for a specific purpose, which is to facilitate understanding of a topic, and not to impose the content of the message.

Explainer video comes from the word explain, because explaining phenomena/products is the main subject in explainer video production. The construction of this advertising animation technique is characterized by the fact that it simply explains complex and complicated issues concerning many industries. It is an excellent marketing communication tool that explains mechanisms or topics that cannot be expressed in words step by step. For example, with the help of animated advertising, you can quickly and efficiently discuss what the purchasing process looks like in an online store.

Explainer video as animated ads presents:

the advantages of the product or service,

complicated or new issue, e.g. dropshipping

production, sales and purchase processes, schemes

functions and operation of software, applications, websites

The company's explainer video is intended for recipients of every industry. Colorful graphics with moving characters will be more accessible and understandable than too long descriptions. Even the most complex and technological products can be easily presented in a clear way. Such business animation increases brand awareness and engagement of almost every recipient. Moving images help visualize objects and assimilate in an accessible way new concepts that require attention and many details, e.g. from the medical, technological, IT, industrial industries, but not only. Explainer video animation can also be used in the HR department for internal communication with employees, e.g. for training and webinars. Certainly, a moving animation will speed up the acquisition of knowledge than a static presentation.

Product animation is perfect for promoting startups or presenting business proposals to potential recipients and partners. When Twitter entered the market, company managers commissioned a 2.5-minute animation presenting the application. Thanks to this, they reached over 10 million new users with their message. This is an example of the success of a global brand that gained popularity using explainer videos for promotion.

Here are some characteristics that make an explainer video a success:

step-by-step explanation of the mechanisms/process

unlimited possibilities to visualize difficult schemes/concepts.

Animations for companies are most often placed on websites, but it is also used as an off-line presentation. The duration of the explainer video is about 1-5 minutes, depending on how much content we want to convey.

Animated commercials can also emotionally engage the viewer, drawing them into the story told, where the imagination has no limits. 

 is perfect when we want to present the benefits of a product or explain a process that we cannot show in real time, e.g. in technology and medicine. When we want to visualize how the cells in our body function, it is much easier to present it with a moving animation. Thanks to this, we can see exactly how, for example, the process of cell division, etc.

Creating 2D animations is the fastest and most effective solution that increases reach, contributes to sales growth and helps to stand out from other forms of marketing communication. To see the effectiveness of the explainer video, please contact Crazy Cat Animation Studio. Our team will answer additional questions in detail.

General

Whiteboard animation or 2D animation? Choose the best form for your product.

What elements should an explainer video contain that will benefit the brand?

10 reasons why you should choose an explainer video instead of a movie ad

Explainer video - we explain what it is and for whom.

Let's create an unforgettable story together.