13 Aug ANIMATED MARKETING
IS A DREAM COME TRUE

 

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If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much is an animation worth?

How many more things can be said—or not said—in one powerful animated video?

How many more heads will be turned, informed, persuaded?

The answer is, according to the latest statistics, a whole lot more. The data is crystal clear, more time is being spent watching videos online than ever before. We love visual content and are capable of processing it 60,000 times faster than the written word, especially when the image is moving.

Animated content in particular, grabs the attention of consumers in less than 1/10th of a second.

Although these stats may be rousing for some, they only reinforce what I’ve known to be true since the start of my career… That ‘ideas’ are powerful, and that with animation, any idea you can ‘conceive’ you can ‘create’.
 

About a man and his dog…and their cheese

 

Let’s dial back the clock for a minute.

My favourite thing about animation is its inherent ability to turn heads, retain attention and make a lasting impact in all of its forms.

A great example of this is the late Nick Park’s Wallace & Gromit.

In 1989, Park released A Grand Day Out, which would become the first of many adventures of this iconic UK duo.

Although it may have appeared simple and old-fashioned to viewers at the time, it was anything but.

The subtle skill and patience required to make an animated movie using claymation of that quality cannot be understated, and the lasting legacy of his two clay characters are a testament to this fact.

Purely from an achievement perspective, Park’s animated series was a huge success. With hundreds of millions grossed, 5 Academy Award nominations, 3 wins and an international cult following, Wallace & Gromit is truly a proud British creation.

But how did a short film about a backyard inventor and his cheese-and-cracker loving dog become such a cult sensation?

And why would Wallace & Gromit go on to spearhead the fundraising of two British children’s charities?

Or revive a real-life dairy business on the brink of bankruptcy, simply by stating that Wensleydale was their favourite cheese?

It’s because Park and his team truly respected the ability animation has to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.

They captured what resonates with their viewers and expressed it expertly through claymation.

They knew then what gung-ho digital marketing teams are discovering now.

If you want to make heads turn and leave a lasting impact on your target audience, there’s no better medium than moving imagery.
 

So, is cheese the elixir marketers have been looking for?

 

Perhaps.

If studies were to conclude that cheese held the key to winning over clients and influencing people, I’d be the first to investigate.

I love cheese.

I looked into buying some Wensleydale when I wrote this thought piece.

But for now, I’m married to the latest facts and my decades of first-hand experience as a video content creator.

And what these both tell me is that in the competitive space of digital marketing you only have a few moments to get your message heard loud and clear.

Here lies one of the biggest advantages of effective animation.

In a single scene, you can convey far more than the written word ever could.

You can get your message heard loud and clear.

Take our campaign for Subaru and Universal NBCs theatrical movie, The Secret Life of Pets as an example.

We were able to depict a young family (and their animated dog) excitedly purchasing a new Subaru—describe all USPs of the sale such as price, warranties and car features and draw our viewers’ attention to vital information by utilising the hero character from the animated movie, ‘Max’ and leverage his abundant cuteness.

All in under 30 seconds.

And consequently, Subaru and fans of The Secret Life of Pets were delighted.

Now, I’m not digging on books or any other creative vehicle designed for carrying messages or ideas.

Each avenue has its strengths and weaknesses.

I’m just adamant that giving motion to your communications is a surefire way of creating killer content and gaining attention—and in this game, that’s everything.
 

So, is moving imagery the elixir marketers have been looking for?

 

Here’s where I push aside my cheese theory…for now.

Let’s look at the facts.

According to researchers:

the average viewer remembers 95 percent of a message when it is watched; compared to 10 percent of text-based messages. About 90 percent of the information our brains process is visual.

Combine this with the knowledge that the human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text, and we start forming an idea as to how moving imagery and mediums like animation are so effective in marketing.

Look no further than the fastest growing and most used platforms of media in our world today.

Youtube. TikTok. Instagram. Netflix.

These are all image/video-based platforms.

Moving imagery is being utilised en masse by millions around the world every day and is undeniably the key to these organisations success.
 

The secret’s out

 

Now that every man and his dog is using motion to convey their ideas, sell their products and reinforce their brands, it’s more important than ever for you to cut through the noise.

At P2, we know how to do just that.

Calling on years of experience, our video content creators spin the good ideas you have on paper into attention-grabbing pieces on the screen. We make things happen and we turn motion into action.

We respect the difference between subtle emphasis and bold expression.

We know how to create retail magic from moving imagery that will make sure your brand cuts through the clutter and stands out from the crowd.

 
NEVER. NOT. STAND OUT.
 

Marc Collister
General Manager / Partner
marc@p2.com.au