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The Best Brand Videos to Motivate Your 2019 Marketing

Posted by Andrea Keating on January 9, 2019

The start of a new year brings opportunity. It’s the chance to start fresh, think bigger, and build towards accomplishing new goals. In terms of marketing, a new year means creating new, innovative campaigns. And hopefully it comes as a time of creative renewal. But sometimes we can all use some inspiration from some of the best brand videos to kickstart our imaginations.

The most popular brands and companies in the world are always adapting new strategies to tell bigger and better stories about their products and services. Video in particular will only continue to rise as the most popular, effective digital marketing approach to build your brand. Now companies are taking all manner of approaches in video to effectively get powerful messages delivered. From the serious to the silly, take a cue from some of the best brand videos of the past year and use it to propel your next great video project.

Serious/Testimonial

Apple 

Testimonials always have the opportunity to be powerful. Mostly because they’re set in reality. These are not famous actors, paid spokespeople, or “fake” customers (at least they don’t appear to be!). This particular ad is shot almost like a documentary, with each individual recounting their own life-altering story. The power lies in the idea of the Apple Watch becoming indispensable, and how without it, the people in this video may not be alive today. It’s an emotional departure from the usually stylish, fun ads associated with Apple products and their proposed benefits. Here the stories are so compelling and at times heart-wrenching, it’s hard to look away with a dry eye.

State Farm

Like the Apple ad, it’s clear the woman volunteering her time is not an actress. While it’s not necessarily an ad selling insurance, it’s showing the viewer what the brand values. For State Farm, in this specific instance, it’s being actively involved in the community and the power of a helping hand. Breaking a brand down into larger themes, ideas, and messages can help broaden the options for creative approaches to video. This message is effectively told, and would be easy to recreate: a single-subject interview with relevant, compelling b-roll.

The Best Brand Videos Use Emotional Connections

John Lewis & Partners

This 2018 holiday spot from John Lewis and Partners shows the power of song and star power, and was one of the best brand videos to cap off the year. Granted, most companies wouldn’t be able to secure the rights to a two-and-a-half minute biography of Elton John, but the same principles can still be applied elsewhere. John Lewis & Partners is a department store, but you wouldn’t necessarily know that from the start. In fact, the first time you saw this, you probably Googled John Lewis & Partners. And that’s the point. You don’t have to get a star like Elton John (but it helps!). One big-overarching idea told with some creative, cinematic flare can do wonders for your brand awareness.

Stylish Testimonial

Microsoft Surface

Testimonials don’t have to be overly emotional, long, or serious. This Microsoft Surface Laptop ad is quick, using a combination of moving shots and testimonials from a successful producer. She is not famous or well known, but the story is relatable. Enough to be a means to feature the product in a stylish way. It also brings a large brand like Microsoft down to a more personal, entrepreneurial level.

Modern & Longform Video

Coca-Cola 

Digital marketing trends and the clickbait, social media-driven spaces that so much content exists in today would lead you to believe that attention spans are at an all-time low. Often that leads to the short, quick videos that lend themselves more to mobile devices and Instagram feeds. But more and more, longform storytelling is revealing itself as an extremely viable option. And the best brands are exploring longer videos and even series of videos.

Take this Coca-Cola campaign, which is shot more like a sponsored, teenaged reality show than a straightforward advertisement. Narrowing your market and their interests could potentially help you explore a different topic or medium-style than more traditional approaches. The best brand videos subvert expectations.

Modern Motivation

Samsung 

This Samsung ad is a fast-paced, snappy video with a series of mostly busy close ups. Bright colors and a driving beat keeps the message captivating. This video is extremely inclusive in it’s subjects, naturally showing people of all ages, ethnicities, and physical capabilities. Samsung uses the platform of powerful, motivational text throughout the video to influence viewers to “defy” and “dream” without explicitly pushing a specific product.

Rather, the video helps push the brand as a whole. In this sense, anyone watching this video who identifies with the ideas presented will immediately identify with the brand after. Videos in this style help to inspire and reinforce the potent, lifelong brand loyalty so many other companies strive to recreate.

Humor

Toyota

Comedy is the great equalizer in media. Using humor in your videos allows you to expand on the entertainment value of your marketing campaigns. The best brand videos that use humor are instantly re-watchable, making them a valuable commodity in digital spaces. What’s more, humor allows for a much more open-ended approach to videos. Take the Toyota commercial above featuring Chuck Norris.  It’s a creative left turn to juxtapose a truck as Chuck Norris himself, and pokes fun at his movies. If your creative team has the ability to to tap into humor for your video campaigns, take advantage of what it can do for your brand growth.

Undercover/Hidden Camera

Lyft

Lyft has been running new versions of these ads the last few years with new celebrities, artists, and athletes disguised as Lyft drivers (unbeknownst to passengers). Famous faces are always helpful, but the hidden camera, “Undercover Boss” approach can be taken by anyone. Particularly the organic feel. Until the end reveals, a handheld 360 degree, dash-mounted camera is the only camera used throughout. This approach works great in digital marketing because it’s so similar in look, feel, and execution to much of the organic video content online.

Parody

Google Home

Perhaps the most unavoidable ad this holiday season: the updated “(Google) Home Alone.” This video plays up the nostalgia of the 90s classic with a modern spin. Similar to the Elton John commercial, the star power here is immensely helpful. But it isn’t necessary to apply the same concept. This is an easily recognizable, shot-for-shot remake of scenes from the original “Home Alone” movie. With the right film or cultural touchstone, a well-done parody can show viewers your brand is in on the joke, but the shots need to be executed and delivered in the right way.

The Takeaway

All video is essentially some form of storytelling. For brands, video is an opportunity to creatively reach audiences across any platform through effective, powerful storytelling. Sometimes it’s straightforward, serious and heartfelt. Other times the approach calls for stylish editing and a flash of theatrics. The end products are essentially limitless in their creative potential. It’s up to you to figure out the message your brand wants to communicate.

And when you’re ready to shoot, you’ll need the best camera crews to help you effectively capture that message. Let Crews Control connect you with the right production team for your project, no matter where you are. Reach out today for your free quote.

Disclaimer: this article was updated in December 2019

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