Six Secrets to Successful Animated Commercial Videos

Animated advertisements have long been used on television to promote products, services, and businesses and accomplish all kinds of marketing objectives. They are distinct from animated cartoon series because they tell their story and are on screen only for a short amount of time, thus making a quick impression on audiences. This short time frame for animated commercials (and other types of advertisements, for that matter), emphasizes the need for them to pack as much information and entertainment value as possible in 30 to 60 second snippets.

Now that animated advertisements are also making waves online, the same principles that made them successful as television commercials apply to online videos, requiring them to be memorable, entertaining, informative, and of great value to the audience. Making a viewer sit through several minutes of content is a huge accomplishment for online marketers and the way to a successful animated commercial can be defined by the following elements:

• Professionalism –A professionally produced video is often perceived to be more credible than something that looks too raw. While it is quite easy to learn the basics of online video creation and use various tools for animation, delegating production to a professional studio or service provider will help you bypass the learning curve and ensure the quality of the finished output. Video production and animation are creative endeavors and art forms that require skill, careful planning, and training to ensure success. More than their technical skills, professional video makers and animators know what works for specific audiences, thus adding value to their service.
• A clear message – An animated video must have a clearly defined and communicated message. Ask yourself what you want to say, who you want to tell your story to, and what the objective to the video is to get a good grasp of the message you want to convey and how best to relay it.
• A target audience – For animated videos to be successful, the intended audiences should also be clearly defined so that elements of the end product are tailored to their needs and interests. This will also help you focus your message and define the best manner of delivery that the audience will receive well.
• A goal – Your animated commercial video must also be goal-oriented so you can set tight parameters for all the elements that contribute to the telling of your message/story.
• Documentation – Your animated commercial should be well-documented right from the conception of ideas down to production so you don't miss out on important aspects of your message that often get drowned out by the many things that go into production.
• A storyboard – To avoid an incomplete message, your animated commercial must be drawn and laid out on a story board so you can fine-tune every detail of the end product.