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September 27, 2016The digital medium, popular referred to as the internet, is the final frontier for marketers.
Whether accessed through smartphones, laptops, PCs or even wearables, harnessing the reach of this massive medium to maximize eyeballs is the endeavor, and marketers the world over are still trying to unlock this medium’s untapped potential. The biggest draw in marketing online has undoubtedly been digital video production.
Some pertinent stats from the CISCO Visual Networking Index forecast sheds light on the Internet’s popularity in general, and of videos in particular:
Video production has been turned on its head in the age of the internet, with marketers thinking way outside the box for content and presentation. Toolbox Studio brings to you some of the most stellar productions in recent times that you can use as inspiration for your own projects.
Seven winning digital production ideas
Budweiser have been promoting their #BestBuds campaign for the last two years and more now. Built-around the theme of friendship, the campaign only has the loosest connection to the brand’s product. After all the only parallel is that the campaign is called “best buds” and people often refer to a Budweiser beer as “bud” in common parlance. However, the ad reflects the ethos of camaraderie and values of friendship, and that too through an absolutely adorable protagonist and a narrative that will definitely tug the strings of your heart.
Australia’s Metro Trains Melbourne wanted people to be careful around trains and train tracks, but knew that preaching through a boring safety video wasn’t the way to go about it. Instead they made an animation that had a catchy song and a humorous (and slightly dark) theme – Dumb Ways to Die. The video showed animated characters comically dying in absurd situations. The message was that there are many ridiculous ways to die, but thanks to how trains arrive and leave at fixed schedules and are very easy to spot and hear, dying by coming under a train is probably the dumbest of all.
Android launched their Friends Furever campaign, quickly becoming one of the most popular videos on the internet in the last year. The message of the video was “Be Together. Not the Same.” and in a recurring theme, was again conveyed through cute animals. That’s all, just unlikely friendships between different animals, with no voice-over or sales pitch. The video is fun to watch and doesn’t even tell you what Android is promoting (P.S. It is the company’s latest Marshmallow Operating System). This approach would be bordering on criminal to the traditionalist marketer, but has clearly worked here, becoming one of the most shared videos in 2015.
Fanpage. It created the “Slap Her” video where kids in Italy were asked a few questions, then introduced to a young girl. When told to caress her or make a funny face at her, they did it, then they were asked to slap her. The result of the last request was awkward pauses followed by steadfast refusals. The message was that in a child’s world, domestic violence does not exist. Another digital campaign that spread like fire, the video uses the shock tactic of asking young boys to hit a girl, and recording their reactions to get the message across.
Fitness is all about motivation, and Reebok’s 25,915 Days campaign is focused on the very theme of inspiration. The message from the ad is – “The average human lifespan is 71 years. That’s 25,915 days. 25,915 opportunities to make the most of our time, honouring the body you’ve been given through a commitment to physicality.” The video shows everyone from old people to young kids indulging in exercise, and watching it gets viewers pumped for a workout themselves.
Nike Women’s Better For It campaign is another one that promotes fitness, but the take is slightly different here. In this particular specimen, the “Inner Thoughts” video, it shows what women are thinking while working out, and inspires viewers to get over their hang ups about workouts through a series of funny observations.
Hanna-Barbera’s The Jetsons cartoon is a pop culture icon. As such it has mass popularity and Global Payroll Association leveraged this very popularity to galvanise their content. The video is set up in a Jetson-like universe, and even has sound effects and peppy music to add to the effect. The subject is about HR and payroll, but wrapping it up in this packaging makes this less-than-interesting subject more engaging.
If you are looking to create your own digital videos, then these ads will definitely inspire you and create that spark of imagination that will fuel your creative processes.
Looking for an efficient video production company? Toolbox Studio can craft a video for you – a video that has all the essential elements that can make it (and your brand) go viral. Find out how our team can help you create rich digital videos.
Arun completed his post-graduation at FTII with motion picture photography as his specialization. With more than two decades of industry experience as a Cinematographer and as a Producer he has more than 300 projects like television commercials, television shows, Music videos, corporate films, Short films and documentaries to his credit.