Professionally-created videos are a great way to advertise your business and reach new customers. Videos attract more eyes than plain old pictures or graphics, and small businesses see high increases of visitors to their website when they run short videos as ads on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. While live-action videos are quite easy to source locally from production companies, animated videos are growing in popularity, and can sometimes be even more eye-catching than live-action. Don’t know where to start with your video idea? Let’s discuss choosing between animation and live-action for marketing videos.
How Marketing Videos Can Help Your Business
Clever video ads and testimonials can help shine a light on your small business. In today’s world of short attention spans, snappy videos on TikTok, YouTube, or Meta platforms can be all it takes for a new customer to check out your product or services. Videos added to your website can help you climb in search rankings. They help boost your brand awareness and presence both on a local and global scale.
When you put thought and care into a video for your business, it can create a sense of authenticity and trust with potential customers. Using real stories, real people, and real voices resonates with the average customer. Showing realness can be done through both live-action and animated videos. So, how do you decide which to do?
Live-Action Videos For Your Small Business
To hammer in realness and authenticity, you may want to create a live-action video ad. Using professional actors, or real customer testimonials, creates a sense of connection to potential customers. When we see a fellow human on screen, we feel connected to them in a sense, especially if they share a similar story or desire as us.
For example, a commercial for allergy medication will typically show someone struggling with their seasonal allergies, then having all their problems solved by taking the allergy medicine. If someone who struggles with seasonal allergies watches the commercial, they may relate to the person featured in the commercial, and feel compelled to buy the product as it helped the person in the commercial, and may help them too. Though the person in the commercial is an actor, they are a real human, showing that others struggle with the same things as the target consumer of the product.
Live-action business videos build personal connections and authenticity, even when using actors and staging. It’s also easy to source a production company to help create your live-action video: most major cities and towns have at least one production company that can help businesses grow with videos. They can source actors, or work with people you want to have in your ad, such as founders or customers (for testimonials).
Utilizing Animation
Do animated ads appeal to you? Do you have an imaginative scenario you want to use for your business that can’t easily be filmed in real life? You may want to seek out an animation studio or a freelance animator to help you create your video. Animation can be incredibly eye-catching for a viewer when juxtaposed against live-action brand videos. Animation is also great for infographics or explaining concepts to viewers. If your company is geared towards a younger audience, such as families with children, a cartoon will appeal to them and get them talking.
Let’s take a look at a very famous example of animation being used for branding; all of Red Bull’s ads for their energy drinks are animated. The company’s catchphrase is “Red Bull gives your wings”, meaning their energy drinks will help you “fly” through your day. Their commercials all show animated people drinking Red Bull and gaining “wings”, flying around their everyday activities. The style of animation also mimics older 20th-century cartoons and comics, creating a sense of nostalgia for older viewers.
Of course, people can’t actually grow wings and fly, which is why Red Bull uses animation for their ads. By using cartoons, they can depict funny scenarios that wouldn’t actually happen in real life, but drive home their message to consumers enough to be successful. If you want to catch the attention of your customer base, brainstorming a fun idea that can be animated may work.
Though animation can be highly effective in garnering new customers, it can also become costly and more difficult to source. While live-action production companies can be found in most cities, animation companies typically stick to animation “hubs” in certain areas, such as the West Coast of North America in cities such as Vancouver and Los Angeles, or overseas in countries such as Japan. If you live outside these areas, you may have to outsource your animation from another city or country, which becomes more costly.
Animation is also a much lengthier and thorough process than live-action videography. Anyone can point and shoot a video of a real person, but animating takes art skills, training, time, and effort. A short animation may take months to complete depending on how complex it is. While the results are amazing and great for building a customer base, you need to be prepared for the cost and time it takes to complete animated videos.
Choosing Between Animation and Live-Action for Marketing Videos
What should you choose? Here’s a chart that recaps the benefits of both love-action and animated branding videos:
| Animation | Live-Action | |
| Audience Engagement | Great for illustrating complex ideas simply and engagingly; often appeals to younger audiences. | Builds personal connections, showing real people and environments; ideal for authenticity. |
| Cost and Time | Can be time-intensive and costly if custom-made. | Cheaper and quicker for simple shoots. |
| Branding and Tone | Useful for brands seeking a playful or futuristic tone. | Conveys a relatable, grounded brand image; great for testimonials. |
| Used For: | Explainers, product demos, or abstract concepts. | Company culture videos, customer testimonials, event coverage. |
Ultimately, both live-action and animated videos can have great benefits for your business. If you have the time and budget to work with an animator on a unique concept, you should delve into it. Most of the time, though, live-action is more convenient and cost effective for businesses, and easier to source.
Research production companies or animators, and discuss your ideas with them. These creators can work with your budget, time, and ideas to create the perfect brand video for your small business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I Use Animation or Live-Action Videos for My Brand?
Both animation and live-action videos can be useful for growing your brand. Your budget and time also play a factor in your decision. Research production companies in your area that can help, and discuss your ideas and budget with them.
How Can Videos Help My Brand?
Live-action and animated videos both can be eye-catching pieces of advertisement for your company. Videos create intrigue with potential customers, and videos posted on social media can mean more views on your website or social media page.
How do I Find an Animator?
There may be local animation studios that can help you bring your idea to life. If there are no local studios, you may want to source from a freelance animator or a studio in another city or country. Research studios that align with your vision, and contact them to discuss your idea.
Why Can Animation Cost More Than Live-Action?
Animation often takes longer than shooting and editing a live-action video. Animators may need weeks or months to complete a short video due to the craft and precision it takes. Due to how long it takes, and the amount of effort needed, some animators may charge more than videographers. If you are budget-conscious, you may want to go with live-action over animation.
How Do I Find Production Companies Near Me for my Video?
You can simply Google “production companies in [your area]”. Talk with friends, family, or fellow business owners for their recommendations. Scouring social media can also be helpful, as production companies will often post their work on social media. You can check out their previous video work, and see if it aligns with your vision.