Styles of Animation: How to use each for your Marketing?

Animation in marketing has proven to be a game-changer. Messaging has a theme that makes everything appear thought-provoking. You can gain the attention of viewers, and hold it for several minutes. And, you win!

But how about the styles of animation, and what style should you be using for your next campaign?

Believe me there’s rarely any blog on the internet that is here to tell you that. And the many that are out there, well there’s no specific advice for how marketers can use each style of animation to their advantage.

So, here’s a piece, dedicated to guide you on the above.

Make sure to give it a good read:

Hand-drawn Animation

Our first style under discussion is hand-drawn animation also referred to as traditional animation. If you’re a 90s kid, you’re already familiar with hand-drawn stuff. It’s sure to kick in the nostalgia of Disney movies of our childhood. Most of the 2D animated movies including Snow White, and even the Lion King were hand-drawn.

Hand-drawn animation is super smooth, you can create an entire frame on a paper, and compile it using software. Hand-drawn animation is known to evoke emotion, and elicit empathy from an audience.

Some of the most heart-warming character stories have been told using hand-drawn animation.

When to use hand-drawn animation for marketing?

You need to have enough resources and time to work on this project. Animation is smooth as waves brushing the shore and going back. Hand-drawn may work well with brands that rely on character narration.

Want to create amazing hand-drawn 2D characters? Check out this 2D animation company.

Motion Graphics

Motion graphics is super popular as a style of animation. You can have objects, elements, and even symbols animated to bring a concept to the table. Want to instill a complex or abstract idea in the mind of your audience?

Enter motion graphics. There’s literally no limit to what you can create with simple objects, shapes, or even just strokes of lines. It all depends upon your creativity, and the conception that you give to the artist.

When to use motion graphics for your messaging?

There’s no rule of thumb for this one. In my own experience, I would use motion graphics for abstract ideas such as tech products or software solutions. I’ve seen really cool motion graphics animation that worked up quite perfectly to explain cryptocurrency.

Plus, you can even use motion graphics to convey messages on topics that can’t be explained using real people. For instance, whistle-blowing, harassment, and even taboos that are not spoken of.

2.5D animation

When it comes to using quality animation for your brand videos, 2.5D stands out from the rest. 2.5D as the number suggests it’s between 2D and 3D animation techniques. It’s basically 2D animation characters brought to motion on a 3-dimensional plane.

2.5D animation requires an exceptional level of work with depth, layering, and perspectives. Animators work rigorously to add great depth to characters, bringing them to life as realistic 3D animation.

You may do well with using 2.5D animation specially when you’re bound with time constraints and do not have ample resources to invest in a full-blown 3D animated project. As a result of this selection, you not only save time, but also get animation quality that is very close to 3D animation.

Would you like to stand out from the crowd with a touch of 2.5D animation for your next campaign? Here’s a guide on 2D animation cost per minute.

When to use it for your marketing?

If you’ve seen the video Nike created for its You vs You campaign for Nike Fitness app, then you already know what I’m talking about. The work was not just classic, but the animation was super smooth. It was ideal to portray the story.

You may use 2.5D animation particularly when you want to showcase a story in a classical theme, but high-quality graphics and great depth in animation.

Hybrid video animation

This is probably the most popular form of animation used in TVCs and animated films by marketers. As the name suggests, hybrid animation combines animation and live-action footage, giving us an immersive digital experience. If you’ve seen Marvel’s top show, Loki, there was a character called Miss Minutes.

The footage may be a work on an entirely green screen. But the result points to hybrid video animation. You get a projected version of an animated character that is playful and enticing, and lives and breathes in the real world.

When to use hybrid animation?

You may use hybrid videos specifically for brand commercials where the tone is playful, the theme is futuristic, or you’ve a child audience that needs to be drawn to the message. Hybrid animation has no limit to ideation and creativity. You can produce whatever you want.