30/01/23
Author: Juan Bencomo
30 min reading
MarketingStrategy
Animated ads are one of our most beloved types of videos online, and there are plenty of reasons why! They are fun, beautiful to look at, and they can deliver a lot of relevant information in creative, engaging, and effective ways – IF you do them right, at least.
And the best part? Audiences can’t seem to get enough of them!
The thing is, though, that there’s a lot that goes into making animated ads that hit the right spot with viewers. So today, we are taking a peek behind the curtains into a handful of animation advertising examples to see what makes them effective and hopefully get a few animation ideas from these great ads.
Let’s get to it, shall we?
Table of Contents
From small startups to global corporations, businesses thrive when they are able to consistently engage their audiences and effectively deliver their message. With video content far outpacing other types of media in terms of performance and conversions, animated ads present a powerful outreach and marketing tool your business can ill afford to ignore in today’s competitive landscape.
That said, before we dive into our list of awesome animated ads examples, it’s good to do a quick rundown of the key strengths these videos bring to the table:
Here’s some of our animated corporate video production work, to give you a taste of the type of video we are talking about!
While there’s plenty to discuss surrounding the topic of cartoon advertisement, let’s start by going over a list of some great cartoon ads and see which animation ideas you can get from them!
1. Amazon Coin
2. Lyft
3. Slack
4. Summa Health
5. Erste Group
6. Volkswagen
7. Nike
8. MedVector
9. MailChimp
10. SyFy
11. Temu
12. Sydney Water
13. Semrush
14. Madrinas Coffee
15. Headspace
16. Wheatable
17. Accelerant
18. American Express
19. Apple
20. Swiggy
21. Coca Cola
22. Adapt Energy
23. Cadbury
24. Catan
25. Duolingo
26. Hasbro
27. Rubicon Drinks
28. Open Cinema
29. Google
30. Travel Oregon
Yeah, this is a Yum Yum Videos’ original, but we aren’t just trying to pat ourselves on the back! We are really proud of the work we did for Amazon on this animation advertising piece, and genuinely believe it earns a place on the list. Here’s why:
Amazon approached us with an interesting challenge; developing a cartoon ad that could thoroughly explain their new digital currency product, Amazon Coins, in a minute or less and in a way anyone would understand. So, we went with a motion graphics explainer style using charming visual storytelling elements to help simplify the process being described.
The result: a short, creative visual narrative that hits all the major points without requiring more than a single minute from viewers!
Need a video like that for your brand? Get in touch, and let’s talk about how we can help here at Yum Yum Videos!
This cool cartoon advertisement from the popular app and vehicle service Lyft follows an “animated short” style, and we just adore the attention to the details that were put into every frame.
This animated commercial is as charming as it is compelling, as it tells the viewers the heartfelt story of June, a lovely grandma who uses Lyft’s services on her way to get a new car and… Well, we won’t spoil the rest, but it’s worth a watch!
The overall design, animation, and the way it weaves its story are just impeccable across the board. And it incorporates the brand into the story in a way that stands out just by how non-invasive it is! Animation advertisement at its best.
The popular business communication platform Slack is no stranger to great animated ads—or great ads in general! But “Work, Simplified” continues to be one of our all-time favorites.
It’s one of those animated ads examples that stand out for their “simple complexity” and economy of story, leveraging visual communication to its fullest.
The use of a continuous take/camera panning combined with elaborate backgrounds and compositions works marvelously to convey their message. There’s neither voice-over nor on-screen text and yet you can’t watch the video and not get what it’s saying.
Best of all? The piece isn’t even long! It only asks for less than a minute of the viewers’ time, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome—just an all-around good advertisement example of animation done right.
There are so many cool animated advertising ideas in this single piece from Summa Health that it can be difficult to focus on just a few to mention here. The creative imagery (of both visuals and the script), the dynamic perspective and camera work, the implementation of striking 2.5 D animation elements… the list goes on.
As you watch it, start by paying attention to three elements that make this an example of animation advertising worth watching: The on-point, easy-to-read character design, the scenery built with a minimalistic approach, and above all, how each scene ties to the next via well-thought-out, unique transitions…
Then–and beyond all those fantastic technical aspects–we want you also to take special notice of how this cartoon ad manages to convey a sense of positivity and optimism all the way through! Definitely a worthy addition to our list.
Many companies decide to commemorate the season around Christmas, with animated ads. And in 2018, the Erste Group, an Austrian bank, did an excellent job at it.
They came up with this heartwarming story about a hedgehog with… ermm, obstacles to make friends. What does that have to do with a bank? Well, this is a brand video. It’s the kind of advertisement that focuses on conveying brand values rather than sales pitches.
It’s worth noting that this sweet story would have been virtually impossible to tell without using animation advertising since it’s set in a fictional world where animals take school buses and celebrate the holidays—hardly realistic, right?
As you are about to learn, that’s one of the key advantages of animated advertisement: in terms of video storytelling, your imagination is the only limit.
It’s a bit more unusual to find animation advertising content tied to the car industry, so we could say Volkswagen made a bold move going with this fun cartoon style animated video. In retrospect, though, they couldn’t have made a better call.
Taking a different approach from most car commercials, they gave life and personality to a green beetle and told the story from its point of view. This way, viewers can easily immerse themselves in the quirky story while getting to understand how the Volkswagen service benefits their cars.
It was also a great way of explaining each step of their service’s process in an enticing manner—like in a training video—while highlighting the quality and luxury of their service.
A few years ago, Nike redesigned some of its most iconic sneaker models and announced this big step–pun definitely intended–with a video, creating this aesthetically pleasing video promo that accurately reflects the brand’s urban style.
The best part of this animated ad example is how well it honors previous sneaker designs. Pay attention every time a new model comes into the frame–do you notice how the visuals and music change depending on the style of the featured sneaker? Cool, isn’t it?
Healthcare has always been a challenging niche to market effectively. Technically complex products and services, delicate subject matters, regulations, difficult-to-follow messages… So we are always excited when we get to develop uniquely effective content for the healthcare industry, and this piece we crafted for MedVector showcases why!
Using the whiteboard video style, we were able to not only showcase MedVector’s core message—effectively communicating a revolutionary methodology for clinical studies’ patient recruitment—but also to create a cartoon advertisement piece spotlighting how this methodology can have an outstanding positive impact in the industry, benefitting all parties involved, and resulting in more studies and lifesaving medicine.
The result? A cartoon ad that has already helped the company raise over $3.5 million in financing on an initial investment under $15.000—an ROI approaching 2000%. Not bad, huh?
Looking for a video like this? Reach out for a custom quote tailored to your project! Or check out this case study to learn more:
This animated ad example initially caught our attention with its beautiful visuals, but there’s more to it than just a pretty aesthetic. The piece is an ode to entrepreneurs–the niche MailChimp specializes in–and corporate video production.
What’s interesting about this drawn animation advertisement piece is that the script focuses more on viewers than on the brand itself. Far from giving a sales pitch or even mentioning what its service is about, MailChimp puts on its customers’ shoes and sends an inspirational message to them.
With these types of cartoon ads, an audience can become closer to a company and its values, hopefully bringing about customer trust and loyalty.
Now, let’s look at one of the most original animated ads examples on the list–both visually and technically–via this cool cartoon advertisement from the SyFy Channel.
The piece’s narrative is built around the story of how Rick Baker–a Hollywood legend in the visual effects and costumes arena–created his first monster mask. It is a quick, funny, and personal story, which makes it instantly charming and relatable.
That alone could make it a worthwhile watch. However, we want you to pay special attention to the tempo of the piece.
This cartoon ad’s pace is kinetic, but the unique art style and streamlined visuals make sure the viewer is never left behind. Moreover, the minimalist style, combined with a monochrome black & white style and traditional animation, all work together to create a more robust final product!
Vibrant visuals, a catchy jingle, a memorable tagline… however you look at it, this animation advertising piece from the digital marketplace, Temu, can teach you a lot about the practical elements you want in your animated commercials!
Right off the bat, the company stacks the deck by making sure the aforementioned elements are all in play in the final product. But maybe more importantly, they interplay with the core visual narrative of the piece to carry their message in a more interpretative way, which makes the whole thing quite memorable.
Pay special attention to how this video leverages creativity. Yes, the company might be a simple digital retailer, but that doesn’t stop it from transforming the core premise of its service into a visual presentation filled with magic and whimsy, elevating its perceived image in the eyes of the viewers!
Most people would think there’s not much room for creativity when it comes to a PSA, especially one about using the toilet’s “half flush” to save water.
But here’s an instance where animated ads prove them wrong!
This piece from Sydney Water is just delightful to watch. From the catchy poem about the importance of water to the stunning animation style, everything about this educational video production catches the viewer’s eye and makes it an effective commercial.
All things considered, animated commercials have to be as short as possible to be effective; we all know that. But how can you make something entertaining and detailed that your audience will love in just 23 seconds? Well, just take a look at how Semrush succeeded at it!
Cartoon ads like this one are character-based, meaning that they feature an animated character as the hero or the protagonist of the story. In this case, with a product called “Keyword Magic,” it’s a no-brainer that this character had to be a wizard.
The best part of this piece is that it not only showcases how the app itself works but also makes it look like the wizard is controlling it! This goes to show how cartoons and other animation styles can make demonstrating the inner workings of an app or website a lot more fun.
One of the things we love the most about Madrina’s animated commercials is how they excel at maintaining visual consistency with the rest of the company’s promotional image.
This remarkable beverage seller has clearly put a lot of effort into developing a very distinctive aesthetic, built around neon-bright colors on black and white backgrounds… which is the type of contrast that would catch anyone’s eye at a glance. And they stick to it even when working with big recognizable IPs.
Notice how, even though they are working with immediately recognizable fiction icons in Godzilla and Kong, they still make sure to present their version of the characters, bringing the IP to life but using their own particular flavor!
Sometimes, the best animated ads are also the simplest.
Granted, this health ad might be a bit longer than the others on this list, but I wanted to include it for a couple of good reasons, but the primary being to show that sometimes less is more!
Notice how this animated commercial piece is very straightforward in explaining how Headspace works and also makes it clear from the start what value it offers to customers. Moreover, how it ends with a simple yet effective call to action to encourage viewers to download the app.
Simple. To the point. Effective.
And while we are on the “less is more” vibe, let’s take a look at this animated advertisement from Wheatable!
Combining elements from both 3D and 2D styles of animation, this streamlined cartoon ad accomplishes what it sets out to do: present the company’s product—a delicious biscuit—while highlighting its core selling points.
While that’s pretty much in line with the baseline needed for any product-centric cartoon advertisement piece, it’s also worth mentioning the subtle things the piece does incredibly well!
The combination of styles help the product itself, the biscuit, stand out, as well as the other 3D-modeled elements in the piece. But nowhere is this more palpable than at the end, when the company makes the smart call to showcase all the different versions of the product with their respective packaging—ensuring the thing buyers will most immediately interact with, the boxed product, will be the thing they remember most after watching!
In terms of animated ads, motion graphics is always a popular choice: it helps you illustrate complex messages with a cohesive visual narrative that is dynamic enough to grab and hold viewers’ attention and deliver your information effectively—and that’s exactly what this piece accomplishes!
The use of clean, angular design for the illustrations immediately jumps to mind when breaking down this piece, as it pairs really well with the seamless motion effects that serve as transitions from one major point to the next.
Notice how different elements transition into each other or transform into something else directly tied to the narration. This type of visual storytelling can be a game changer in terms of telling your audience the information they need in a way they can understand and remember!
This piece from American Express is full of animation ideas to inspire your own commercial video production. As with any other ad, this video explains the product’s benefits, but it does so by leveraging creative storytelling.
On top of that, it combines visually appealing illustrations with a vintage-looking color palette and uplifting music. The result is a mesmerizing video that’s just delightful to watch!
The folks at Apple have always had a robust video content strategy, and animation has always been one of their strongest mediums to communicate their company’s message. This piece, in particular, stands out due to its chosen style, and it’s worth a look at what it accomplishes.
Kinetic typography—the style used in the video—remains a popular style to use on cartoon ads for multiple reasons, not the least of which is budget, as these types of videos tend to be less resource-intensive in terms of asset creation needs.
However, the style also does a great job of keeping the focus on the message. The message is the star of the piece, after all, leaving a lot of room for you to explore your creativity by creating opportunities to bring the words on the screen (and your message!) to life.
Now here’s an action-packed piece from Swiggy that’s worth learning from!
In just 30 seconds, the company manages to present its service as the hero that comes in to save the day (quite literally!) while conveying its main strengths.
Moreover, the eye-catching text serves to reinforce said advantages in the viewer’s mind, while the clear and strong CTA lets them know where they can find the app. Quite a full package, don’t you think?
If a kinetic typography video—like the animated ad example from Apple—represents the more streamlined, minimalistic approach to animated advertising pieces, then this video from another giant, Coca Cola, showcases the all out, no holds barred approach!
The combination of live-action with animation footage stands out as well. Animation lets you create fantastical visuals only limited by your imagination. And while that’s all well and good, you need to be mindful of not overdoing it or overusing creative visuals to the detriment of your piece’s core message.
By making sure to use live-action footage at the beginning and end of the video, the company is able to, quite literally, depict an entirely fantastical world of animated visuals that make it memorable but also keep things grounded and remind viewers what it’s all about: a tasty beverage.
We’ll never get tired of singing the praises of animated explainers here at Yum Yum, and this cute piece from Adapt Energy is yet another great example why!
A blue-gradient color pallet, following the company’s established brand aesthetic, clean and efficient animated motion graphics, and a suitable narration that brings it all together. It’s a simple formula but one that has proven to be highly effective for making animated ads that deliver results.
If you’d asked me what emoticons, Oreos, and Cadbury Chocolate had in common before watching this charming cartoon ad, I would have been at a loss. Now, I have a whole memorable tale of friendship and adventures that spring to mind.
THAT is the power of animation at its core: to give you the medium to bring your message to life (sometimes using anthropomorphic food and a bit of an unsettling ending!)
While there are several technical aspects this piece does extremely well (not the least of which is the superb 3D animation), if you take only one thing from watching it, let it be that the sky’s the limit in terms of the approach you can take with this medium to make your product or message memorable.
Our friends at Catan GmbH approached us looking for a cartoon advertisement about their world-renowned tabletop game Catan. One that introduced the basics to new audiences but did so in an equally compelling and entertaining way through video storytelling!
Long story short, we ended up giving the protagonists the ability to “jump inside” the game and experience its elements from a first-person perspective! That original animation idea lent all other aspects of the video that magical, relatable, and dynamic feel that only cartoon ads can capture!
Plus, the Catanimals just look too cute, don’t you think?
(Cartoon ad by animated video company Yum Yum Videos.)
Used wisely, a cute company mascot can be a really powerful marketing boon. Incidentally, animation advertising pieces are where those mascots take a life of their own. This lovely video from the language-learning app Duolingo showcases both premises in action!
By tying a funny narrative around a function on their app (push notifications), the company manages to weave a tale that gives personality and identity to their mascot, while also promoting the core of what their company does and the upcoming event they are trying to promote.
Not a bad day at work for the cute green fictional owl!
So far, we’ve talked a lot about how flexible the medium of animation is and how you can tweak it to not only suit your needs, but to appeal to different types of audiences in terms of aesthetics, but the same is also true in terms of content and approach!
Part of a series of animated ad examples from Hasbro, this short cartoon ads does a great job to illustrate that point. By creating anthropomorphic versions of their board games, each of these ads gives them a personality and a message that aligns with the product, which is a really compelling way to promote them.
Of particular interest in this example, notice how the message itself is directed to a very specific buyer persona: parents who want games that teach something valuable to their children. In spite of the charming cartoon aesthetic, the message is mature, appealing, and direct!
While we are on the topic of using animation while aiming for a more mature audience, this hilarious cartoon advertisement from Rubicon Drinks cleverly uses implication and humor to create a marketing piece that is as memorable as it is short and efficient!
The painstakingly animated expressions alone are worth the watch! But pay attention to how the company, far from relying only on humor, placed particular emphasis on visually showcasing its new product line and packaging while highlighting its key value proposition. All extremely well executed.
Character animation, kinetic typography, motion graphics… This lovely animated advertisement piece from Open Cinema has it all. Combining multiple styles and approaches into a piece that not only illustrate the company’s innovative platform, but showcase its value to their target audience.
The complex yet easy-to-read graphics help compliment the point the narrator is carrying across, and the company’s message is delivered in a way that reinforces the key takeaways, even during a cursory look.
The piece also excels at efficiency, quickly communicating the key value propositions the platform brings to the table, while using continuously transforming visuals designed to keep the viewer engaged all the way through.
Another amazing example of motion graphics cartoon animation, this time via Google’s endlessly creative marketing team.
The rainbow colors heavily contrasting with the black and white background immediately draws you in, while the use of perspective, contrast, and animated typography pull double duty: keeping the viewer engaged and delivering the totality of their message.
The lack of narration is a bold choice, but one that represents little risk for a company of such high profile. In exchange, we get a complex set of transitioning visuals that, when paired with the piece’s text, have you puzzling the message for yourself as you read.
Core lesson to learn: making the viewer an active participant in your content can have a huge effect on how memorable your message ends up being!
Let’s wrap up this awesome list of animated ads examples with this visually striking Studio Ghibli-inspired cartoon ad from Travel Oregon.
Of course, the breathtaking quality of the animation alone carries most of the weight of the piece, but notice how the fantastical visuals are all grounded on themes and characteristics tied to distinctive features that would appeal to anyone considering traveling to the beaver state.
The tongue-in-cheek nature of the “only slightly exaggerated” tagline for the piece perfectly embodies what the company is going for in this animation advertisement piece, both amusing and driving attention to a complex product to market in the most creative way!
Finding the right animated video company to bring your project to life can be tricky, but we here at Yum Yum Videos always try to make things easier for you and ensure an outstanding result.
Here’s how we do it:
After more than a decade working alongside some of the world’s most recognizable and successful brands, like Amazon, McKesson, and Thermo Fisher, we’ve come to understand that more than a service provider, our company is there to be a partner you bring in to realize your team’s creative vision and accomplish a complex goal. Which is why we’ve made it our focus to put together a talented team of passionate professionals able to crafting bespoke solutions to your particular requirements.
That said, we like to let our company’s portfolio speak for us whenever possible! Take a look:
And if you are curious about what is like working with us, see what some of our clients think:
So, if you are thinking of developing awesome animated ads of your own, get in touch today! We are eager to hear everything about your project and tell you how we can help!
Do you have any lingering questions after watching these cool animated ads examples? No worries, here are some answers for some of the most frequently asked questions about these types of videos.
Simply put, animated advertisement pieces are short animated commercials meant to promote a company’s products or services.
This type of advertisement is frequently displayed through television or digital channels, especially through social platforms like YouTube and Facebook. There, animated videos can be showcased as in-banner or in-stream ads. In the first case, the ad consists of a banner with an embedded video, whereas the latter term refers to an ad that’s played inside an organic video post.
A good rule of thumb is to make your commercial 30 seconds long or less. Believe it or not, that amount of time should be more than enough to convey your message and encourage action. Granted, it’s not easy, but the best commercial ads out there show it’s definitely possible.
Moreover, your ad’s length might be determined by the platform on which you wish to share it. For example, the typical Instagram video length for ads can be between 3 and 120 seconds long, depending on whether you share them on Stories or in-feed. The ads that play before a YouTube intro can greatly vary in length, ranging from 5 seconds to 2 minutes and even more- So, you should always check your distribution platform’s best practices before producing your ad.
Commercial cartoons tend to be better at grabbing attention than static ads because they’re more visually appealing and interesting to watch than lines of text. Moreover, they can convey your message in the form of a compelling narrative that’s more likely to have the desired impact on your potential customers because it can be tailored to their specific needs and interests. So, overall, we could say that yes, animated ads are definitely effective.
These commercials increase sales because, as I’ve mentioned before, they’re highly appealing and can be tailored to a specific audience. On top of that, you can transform your message into a story your audience can relate to and consume easily. And since cartoon advertisements require almost no effort on the part of the viewer to understand the information being presented, it becomes easy for them to understand and even to recall your message regardless of how complex it might be.
Animation advertising is priced according to different factors, such as the video’s length and style, customization options, the production timeline and team’s expertise, and so on. But typically, this is what animation costs per minute, depending on your approach:
Nowadays, commercial cartoon advertisements and animated ads are bigger than ever!
With interactions through social media occupying more of a central role in digital marketing, creating cartoon ads that grab audiences’ attention is essential to staying relevant. And if that piece is of the highest quality and is able to resonate with your viewers, the results will show it. Working with a high-quality company that provides animated video services is always a good option for this.
As we’ve seen in today’s animation examples, the variety of styles and abundance of approaches at your disposal make the medium a powerful marketing tool. If you use it right, that is.
So, it’s time you take these cool advertisement examples and animation ideas for inspiration and begin working on your own! As you saw, animated ads can go anywhere from doodle videos to motion graphics and many other marketing video production styles in between.
If you can imagine it, you can bring it to life with cartoon advertisements.
A seasoned digital marketing expert, professional writer and translator, and the chief editor for all our web and blog content. Writing is his life, but when he’s not working his magic on our website and blog, he’s often found with his nose in a book, listening to some music, or playing video games.
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