I am a 90’s kid. Advertisements form a part of my childhood memories. I saw a lady run towards her cricketer boyfriend in the Cadbury advertisement. I drank Boost just because it was the secret of Sachin’s energy. I got introduced to Essel World, Action Shoes, Prestige Cookers, and numerous other brands all thanks to advertisements.
From the latest bunch, Flipkart’s ads showing children role playing as adults is memorable. They make their ecommerce features easy to relate and understand.
The IPL comes up with fantastic advertisements every year. Here is one of their classic IPL promo ads.
And now, the pandemic has arrived. It has forced production houses to cancel outdoor shoots. This has impacted the advertising industry, and dealt a blow to sponsorship commitments for celebrities.
So, what could be an alternative to traditional advertisements now coming to a halt? Why not animate real celebrities into an animated commercial?
The rise of animation advertising
Live-action has been the go-to medium to capture the pulse of the viewer. If it’s real, it’s believable. But the pandemic has tilted the scale of opportunity towards animation.
People are now working from home, stuck in front of the idiot box due to the lockdown. What better time to broadcast advertisements when the target audience is waiting to absorb content? Right?
Lockdowns in most parts of India meant, ad agencies have to resort to plan-B. Something that keeps ad storyline intact, requires zero shooting, and gives the audience to relate to. Animation advertising is that plan-B.
Through some outside the box (pun intended) thinking, tweaking the content creation aspect and establishing animation as a storytelling medium, the same target audience can be reached.
It all started in 2013, when a campaign called ‘Dumb Ways to Die’, was shown at Cannes. Conceptualized by McCann Erickson Australia and depicting Australia’s train safety norms, it won the Cannes Lions. Take a look at the campaign video below
Animation simplifies complex topics and isn’t bound by logistical constraints. According to a KPMG report released in 2019, the VFX and Animation industry stood at approx. $1.23 billion. It is said to double to nearly $2.6 billion by 2024.
Animation advertising amplifies the message through its distinctive style. It makes the message stand out among the clutter. I only noticed 2D animation as a side-hero, but with the current halt in production, it is getting the hero treatment.
Let’s look at a cool animation showreel from one of our sister concern companies – Fathamster.studio. If Fat Hamster does the animation bit, we at Creometric.com take care of the audience segmentation, content creation, ad copy, and online marketing.
Animation Advertising during COVID-19
Even though animation advertising has proven to be an alternative to traditional advertisements, it’s limit to endless possibilities is yet to be determined.
They should no longer be considered a quick fix or something that can be cheaply done. 2D animation, 3D animation, stop motion, and Cel (short for celluloid) animation are just some of the options to explore.
Experimentation will happen and it could take some time until we fully understand it’s reach. Repurposing of older assets to fit TVC as animated content needs time.
Who remembers the Amaron Batteries ad campaign where the Hare raced the Tortoise? I still remember the tag line – “Lasts long, very long”. That commercial took Amaron’s shares up by 6% and has kept Amaron No.1 till now in its segment.
India’s movies and shows are now content driven. Star value is now no longer the driving factor. What if animation advertising was broadcasted directly to OTT platforms?
This could be the perfect place to test its limits. The time is right and the platform is pretty much warm. Animators can work on ads straight from home.
As a bonus:
Check out the following animation advertising campaigns for Sharekhan and Gulf Oil Lubricants India Ltd.
This one uses an animated hero to better explain the complex features of trading.
MS Dhoni (in an animated form) was roped in to share the message #NewWayForward, in a post-lockdown outlook video.
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