Marketing is all about being heard above the noise, getting your audience’s attention, and being remembered.
And this is no small feat. It demands constant innovation, clever out-of-the-box thinking, and all without irritating or annoying your audience.
So it’s no surprise that animation is a vital tool in any marketer’s arsenal.
But why?
It’s all obvious when you consider the power of cartoons.
Let’s dive in!
We all grew up watching cartoons as kids.
There’s just something so catchy and fun about that vivid and colorful world, rife with imagination and creativity.
But clearly, animated cartoons are no longer merely “just for kids.”
It seems there are genres and styles for every demographic and age group-- everything from comedy to romance to horror.
It’s a medium that is at least as diverse as anything you would find in cinema.
This universal appeal is an underrated and understated power that we’re only beginning to really tap into.
Cartoons have a unique charm that appeals to both children and adults.
They tap into a sense of nostalgia, taking viewers back to the simpler times of childhood.
But the appeal of cartoons goes beyond nostalgia. Here’s why they work so well:
Source: Freepik
Animation not only engages viewers but also communicates complex messages in a way that’s both memorable and entertaining.
Cartoon marketing videos are animated videos that use cartoon characters, colorful visuals, and storytelling to convey a brand’s message.
Unlike traditional live-action videos, which rely on real people and settings, cartoon videos offer a flexible and far more creative approach.
They can simplify complex ideas, making them easier to understand and more enjoyable to watch.
This form of video marketing is versatile and can be used across various platforms, including social media, websites, and email campaigns.
From product demos and explainer videos to brand storytelling and customer testimonials, cartoon marketing videos are an effective way to engage your audience and communicate your message clearly.
Cartoons have a way of connecting with viewers on an emotional level.
Their exaggerated expressions, lively colors, and whimsical storytelling can evoke a wide range of emotions, from joy and excitement to empathy and trust.
This emotional connection makes viewers more likely to engage with your content and remember your message.
Cartoons excel at breaking down complex ideas into simple, digestible pieces.
By using visuals that are easy to understand, cartoons can communicate even the most complicated concepts in a way that’s clear and straightforward.
Cartoons are not bound by the limitations of reality.
This means they can bring to life ideas, products, and scenarios that would be impossible or too costly to create in live-action videos.
This versatility makes them an ideal medium for brands looking to push creative boundaries.
Source: Dribble
In the realm of video marketing, cartoons have carved out a niche as a powerful tool for engaging audiences.
Their playful nature and visual appeal make them perfect for grabbing attention in a crowded content landscape.
Here’s how cartoons are making a difference in video marketing:
Cartoon videos are naturally more engaging than text or static images.
They capture attention quickly and keep viewers interested throughout the duration of the video.
This increased engagement leads to higher retention rates and a greater likelihood that viewers will act on your call to action.
In a world where companies are constantly competing for attention, cartoons offer a way for brands to stand out from the crowd.
A well-crafted cartoon video can make your brand more memorable and give you an edge over competitors who are using more conventional marketing methods.
Cartoon videos have a higher chance of being shared on social media, which can increase your brand’s visibility and reach.
Their entertaining nature and shareability make them more likely to go viral, spreading your message far and wide.
Source: Freepik
While cartoons are often associated with consumer-facing brands, they can be equally effective in B2B marketing.
Here’s how cartoon marketing videos can benefit B2B companies:
B2B products and services are often complex, requiring detailed explanations.
Cartoon videos can simplify these complex offerings, making them easier for potential clients to understand.
This clarity can lead to faster decision-making and shorter sales cycles.
Cartoons can add a human touch to your brand, making it more relatable and approachable.
This is particularly important in B2B, where the buying process is often more formal and involves multiple stakeholders.
A cartoon video can break the ice and make your brand more personable.
Cartoon videos can be a valuable asset in sales presentations and pitches.
They can make your presentations more engaging and help you communicate your value proposition more effectively.
This can be a key differentiator when competing for business.
The visual and storytelling elements of cartoons make them highly memorable.
This can help keep your brand top of mind with potential clients, increasing the likelihood of them choosing your company when they’re ready to make a purchase.
Creating a cartoon marketing video involves several steps, each of which plays a crucial role in the final product.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:
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Before you start creating your cartoon video, it’s important to define your objectives.
What message do you want to convey? Who is your target audience?
What action do you want viewers to take after watching the video?
Clearly defining your objectives will guide the entire production process.
The script is the foundation of your cartoon video. It should be concise, engaging, and aligned with your objectives.
Focus on telling a story that resonates with your audience and clearly communicates your message.
A storyboard is a visual outline of your video.
It maps out each scene, showing how the story will unfold and how the visuals will complement the script.
This step is crucial for ensuring that the final video flows smoothly and effectively communicates your message.
The characters and graphics are the heart of your cartoon video.
They should be designed to appeal to your target audience and reflect your brand’s personality.
Whether you’re creating the graphics in-house or hiring a designer, it’s important to ensure that they are high-quality and aligned with your brand’s visual identity.
Source: Freepik
Once the graphics are ready, it’s time to bring them to life through animation.
This step involves using animation software to create the movements and transitions that will make your video dynamic and engaging.
A great voiceover can elevate your cartoon video, making it more engaging and professional.
Choose a voice that matches the tone of your video and resonates with your audience.
Adding sound effects can also enhance the overall experience, making the video more immersive.
Editing is where you refine your video, ensuring that everything flows smoothly and that the timing is perfect.
This is also the stage where you can make any necessary revisions based on feedback from stakeholders.
Once your video is complete, export it in a format that’s suitable for your intended platform.
Whether you’re sharing it on social media, embedding it on your website, or using it in presentations, make sure the video is optimized for its specific use case.
The cartoony style of character animation has far more uses than on our childhood Saturday morning television.
For example, here’s a video announcing WeWork’s rebrand.
It neatly explains the subtle changes to their logo’s design and overall look and feel as a brand using cute cartoon figures and sketches, some slick animated graphics, and catchy upbeat music– all while also reminding the viewer of what the brand is all about.
When we harp on about the power of storytelling and animation, it’s more than just buzzwords by a marketing team amped up on dangerous amounts of coffee.
We really do mean it’s an art form that can work wonders for businesses of all kinds and sizes.
And if you need proof, consider this beautifully animated video for MailChimp (created by the legendary Buck).
With no dialog but some absolutely stunning 3D character animation, we follow a plucky heroine as she quits her job to follow her dreams and becomes an entrepreneur. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.
With plenty of humor and a goofy by gorgeous visual style, we’re drawn into the story and forget we’re really watching a B2B marketing video– that’s how good it is.
Now imagine what animation like this could do for you!
The financial industry keeps the world (figuratively) turning.
But dealing with banks and lenders can feel cold and impersonal.
Our clients, FHCann & Associates, understood this image problem and wanted to communicate with their audience that it doesn’t have to be this way– at least, not with their services.
So we used character animation to bring a personal, human touch to this business, using people’s stories and experiences to highlight FHCann’s way of serving their clients.
Because ultimately, all business is about people, and building trust.
The tech world is bafflingly complex to many.
We use digital technology daily, but few of us have the slightest clue how it all works, or what it takes to keep it all running smoothly and constantly.
But if there’s two things that animation can do really well, it’s 1) simplify and explain even the most complex subject matter and 2) humanize and personalize your story to connect with your audience.
For SUSE, we crafted an animated video that doesn’t go into dense technical details, but rather focuses on a plucky hero working in IT (the key decision maker in business when it comes to software and cybersecurity).
It starts by establishing that they understand his world and the problems he faces, connecting with that target audience.
And then unveils the solution that would make everything so much easier and better.
It’s a story that connects with the viewer far better than listing features and whitepapers and such because it cuts to the heart of the story: the unsung heroes behind all that tech.
There never seem to be enough hours in the day, right? This cartoon explainer makes you feel that!
The video starts with a character literally running against time, juggling numerous tasks.
Symbolically, it begins with dark clouds and thunder, setting an eerie tone.
Our character is visually stuck in a whirlwind of meetings, broadcasts, emails, campaigns, and strategy writing.
We see her distress growing, reflected in her face and the fast-paced narration.
Suddenly, the narrator pauses and takes a deep breath, and so does she. The brand steps in, acknowledging the struggle and saying, "We get it."
They explain that while they can't create more hours in the day, they can help elevate your emails.
As they introduce their solution, the dark clouds disappear, and the screen brightens.
The video then explains how SendGrid works, showing the character exploring its features and benefits.
The brand does a great job of making you feel understood and then provides a practical solution.
This beautiful 3D-animated video takes a playful and engaging look at IBM Industry's AI-powered supply chain solutions.
Our guide, Charles, leads us through the fictional IBM Lab, where each room represents a different supply chain scenario.
The video kicks off with the familiar issue of delayed shipments and their effects on supply chains.
But here’s the twist—IBM’s AI now analyzes all available data to predict and warn about potential disruptions.
It even decides which team member should tackle each issue and learns from past solutions to prevent future problems.
This means the company can respond faster and keep things running smoothly, minimizing any disruptions for customers.
Then, the video addresses how tricky a task it is to maintain traceability and transparency in the supply chain.
It introduces IBM's blockchain technology as a solution.
It shows how this technology revolutionizes supply chain management with features like tracking, verification, and real-time updates.
Even though the technical details could get a bit heavy, Charles and the sci-fi theme keep it entertaining.
That’s the magic of cartoon explainer videos—they turn complex topics into something fun and easy to understand!
This 2D animated video is a blast with its playful and engaging design.
It kicks off with a dramatic scene—lightning bolts and rain around a workspace.
Then, a narrator asks a question, and a hilariously confused character appears on screen, looking everywhere.
When the narrator asks if you’re struggling to get results from your marketing, that character’s funny expression is sure to make you laugh.
Next, the video shows a hand tossing banknotes into a comically designed trash can, which even has flames coming out of its head. This scene illustrates how you are literally burning money.
It emphasizes the wastefulness of ineffective marketing when you could be using Snappy Kraken.
Each problem is portrayed by these quirky characters, adding to the video’s entertainment value.
The video then introduces Snappy Kraken, a marketing system that helps financial advisors connect with clients and grow their businesses.
It demonstrates how Snappy Kraken can attract more clients with its engaging visuals and witty approach.
This 3D animation video starts with a friendly narration, making you feel like it's speaking directly to you.
It begins by talking about the days when designers had to settle for flat, uninspired designs.
Our character humorously doodles on the screen, only to see her creations fall flat like cardboard.
It suggests that without spending years mastering complex software, 3D design was out of reach.
Then, it introduces Spline as the easy solution.
This 3D design tool is showcased next, showing how users can easily create 3D objects, animations, and interactive designs.
The video highlights Spline's user-friendly interface and its versatility in various design projects.
We see our character using all the features in real time.
She effortlessly transforms a square into a cube, rounds its corners, views it from different angles, changes its size and color, and collaborates with her team on a design.
Watching the character do all this without heavy explanations makes the video so engaging, even if you know nothing about art.
Plus, the use of 3D elements, fluid transformations, and vibrant colors keeps viewers hooked from start to finish.
Running a business of any size is no small task.
You have to simultaneously juggle so many things in the air at once, at all times.
So even if you have, say, a clever and innovative solution for payroll, it can be a challenge to get a business leader’s attention and interest.
GiantAnt created some absolutely beautiful 3D character animated video worthy of a Pixar short film, helping Gusto cut through the noise and land home a captivating and heartwarming message, all while showing off their payroll product offering.
It works not just because of the amazing animation, but because at its core, its message is about celebrating your team, the people that make it all happen.
This 2D animated video has a minimalist and modern aesthetic.
It starts by clearly explaining what Connectpay is and how it makes payroll and financial management easier for businesses.
It covers features like automated payroll, compliance, and reporting.
Instead of just listing features, the video uses a relatable small business owner character to show how Connectpay can be the perfect partner for handling payroll and tax compliance.
Throughout the video, a Connectpay sales rep is shown helping her, which builds trust and shows that support is always available.
To create cartoon marketing videos that resonate with your audience and drive results, follow these best practices.
Source: Freepik
Understanding your target audience is key to creating a cartoon video that resonates with them.
Tailor your video’s message, tone, and visuals to appeal to your specific audience.
Cartoon videos work best when they are simple and to the point.
Avoid cluttering your video with too much information or overly complex visuals.
Focus on delivering a clear, concise message.
Source: Freepik
Storytelling is at the heart of effective cartoon videos.
Use a narrative structure to engage viewers and keep them interested from start to finish.
The quality of your animation can make or break your cartoon video.
Invest in high-quality animation to ensure that your video looks professional and polished.
Source: Freepik
End your video with a clear call to action that tells viewers what you want them to do next.
Whether it’s visiting your website, signing up for a free trial, or contacting your sales team, make sure your call to action is compelling and easy to follow.
Cartoon marketing videos are a powerful tool for engaging your audience, simplifying complex messages, and driving business results.
Whether you’re marketing to consumers or businesses, cartoons offer a unique way to stand out from the crowd and connect with your audience on a deeper level.
By following the steps and best practices outlined in this guide, you can create effective cartoon marketing videos that resonate with your audience and help you achieve your marketing goals.
So, start exploring the power of cartoon videos today and see how they can take your marketing strategy to the next level!