Badadadada, I’m Lovin’ It: Communication Through Commercials

Unlike an explainer or brand video, a commercial is used for promotion of a product or company. While they also tell a story, the goal of a communication through commercials and promo videos is to evoke an emotion from its audience— one they will always associate with the brand, company, or product.

Which type of video you need, depending on the message you want to send

Every video is a sales tool, but each one has a unique advantage. An explainer video does just that: it explains the goal of a company. A brand video tells the story and gives background. Unlike an explainer or brand video, a commercial is simply for promotional use. Rather than telling a story, a commercial or promo video evokes an emotion from its audience, one they will always associate with the brand, company, or product.

The “Pros” of advertising through commercial

The motivation behind a commercial or promotional video is to excite the audience into a sale. For instance, our video for music app Rock My Run is meant to inspire and motivate the viewer to want to get up and go for a run. There is a storyline, but it doesn’t give any insight into why the company exists or its founders. Rather, it is telling a story of a successful use of the product.

The Message: Leave the viewer with a takeaway

So here’s how it happens. We take a good, hard look at your product. What is the one message you want your audience to take away from your product? This one simple message is the key to getting your product into the mind and heart of your consumers. This message doesn’t have to be a direct message. It could even be a feeling you want the product to evoke. For instance, our “Eat Me” commercial wanted to make the viewer uncomfortable, so that when they actually showed what the product was, it would be memorable. The feeling that the “Eat Me” spot provides stays with the viewer more than the product does on its own. By associating the product with a feeling, “Eat Me” is now more memorable.

Next, we come up with the simple story, or visual you want associated with your product. The visuals and story we create will serve your message and make the product memorable. From there, we write the script, scout locations, and film the commercial. Once we finish filming, everything goes into post-production: where it all comes together.

Music: Why it matters more in a commercial

Of course, the audio, colors and animations are important in every video. However, in a commercial they require a specific level of detail. For many brand videos or explainer videos, the background music is meant to simply tie everything together and be a nice addition to the meat of the video. In a commercial, the song needs to convey the overall emotion that is being evoked, meaning there is extra time needed to truly pick the appropriate tune.

If you think about companies like Budweiser, Coca-Cola and Geico, they’re known for their commercials and the emotions associated with them. These brands are now recognized for the tone and voice that are seen through their commercials. They don’t always give a good look into the inner workings of a company like a brand video or explainer would. But, they make the product or service feel approachable and realistic for the consumer.