Choosing a suitable explainer type for your business

Illustration: Miloš Stanojević

You have made a well-informed choice to enrich your marketing campaign with a personalized, engaging explainer video – kudos, that is indeed an excellent decision to make, especially in 2018, the year of major video expansion! There is just one more thing to do before you dive into the world of animation – choose the style of your video.

Theoretically speaking, no matter what your business or idea is about, you can choose any explainer video type you like. Still, the choice you make will significantly affect the way your message is comprehended, and how your idea or brand are perceived as well. You should keep in mind that choosing a proper animated video style for your business is equally important as choosing the right target group for your idea, product or service.

Here are a few guidelines that will set you on the right track in your search for your ideal animation type.

Whiteboard animation

Whiteboard animation is a well-known and widely spread video type. It is a very simple and direct way to convey a message, and a whiteboard does not take too long to produce, which are the main reasons why it gained popularity very quickly.

In 2009, Royal Society of Arts in London, England, introduced a series of short whiteboard animations called “RSA Animate”. The purpose of these videos was to deliver world-changing innovations and ideas, and they became very popular in the following years.

Whiteboard is the best solution for showcasing a great idea you got that you want to be further improved, or for creating a timeline for presenting facts about a company, brand history or similar, and how it got developed in time. It is also great for listing positive traits or effects of a certain product, or even behavior (benefits of exercising, for example) – the point of your message will gradually seem more and more important as the camera follows a fact after a fact.  It can showcase facts and figures, as well as illustrative graphics elements. It is suitable for internal presentations, to explain quick and simple processes, or for educational purposes.

“Whiteboard sounds fun, but I would like a video that is more colorful and offers more movement, yet still looks spot-on professional”, you may say. Your wish is our command – the next explainer type might be just what you need!

2D motion graphic

2D motion graphic is all about a variety of graphics brought to life within an animation. Such graphics can be very different: specific and business oriented (pie charts, bars, graphs, arrows signifying growth and decline etc), symbols, icons that signify certain terms and processes…

If you like character animation and need a specific protagonist to tell your story, this is probably not the best explainer type for you – motion graphic videos may present a character or two, but only on a simplified graphics level (the best example would be so-called stickman characters, that bare the same significance as any other graphic in the motion graphics video, unlike “proper” characters that are featured in 2D regular type).

2D motion graphic is suitable for almost any purpose or business – whether you own a start-up, you just made an awesome, useful application, or you run a developed IT business or even a bank! 2D motion graphic is a very “corporate” way to address your audience, while still looking modern and fun.

“Sounds great! Still, it would be nice to have a real protagonist to tell the story, a character with a face and a name, someone the viewers can identify with.” Totally makes sense – it’s time to introduce the explainer video type that is just like that!

2D regular animation

2D regular animation is like having your own filming set, but with a few perks: instead of hiring actors, acquiring high-quality equipment and looking for appropriate locations and sets to film at, you are presented with a digital studio where you can choose and customize the look of protagonists and environments they’re in. Your “actor” can tell a story from any angle – from a provider of goods or advice, a customer in trouble that needs quick and fine solutions, to a risk taker with ideas that can change the world – you name it. Different icons, symbols, and similar elements are often a part of a 2D regular video, so it really represents “a whole package”.

This is an explainer type that takes longer to produce than a whiteboard or 2D motion graphics, but with 2D regular animation, there is practically no need to worry if you missed the mark in choosing the proper explainer type. It is a choice that offers a broad versatility, so it can be tailored according to your business needs. Yes, you could say that 2D regular animations are indeed a very safe bet.

You like what you hear, but you also feel like exploring a bit further – what if you want even more?

“Really? There’s even more?!” Sure! We can offer a special treat to all you perfectionists out there who don’t settle for anything but the best.

2D premium animation

2D Premium animation will blow you away! It offers you everything 2D regular provides: protagonists, different environments, motion flow of icons and symbols – but with a boost that neither you nor your audience will be able to resist! In this animation type, the whole spread of additional opportunities opens up: mind-blowing details, a variety of textures and gradients, stunning transitions, realistic character animation that will leave you speechless – the list goes on and on.

2D premium type features the most mesmerizing 2D animation you may find. The complexity of illustration and animation are up to your standards, and the video can be customized in line with your wishes and preferences – in the end, we will make sure that you are left with a real eye-candy that will leave no viewer indifferent.

Still not quite certain which video style you prefer?

If you still feel like selecting an appropriate animation type is a tough cookie, don’t worry, it is quite understandable. Although the tips we made will surely give you a certain direction and help you in some ways, choosing the right explainer video type can be challenging sometimes.

If you feel like you could use a helping hand in making a selection, feel free to let us know! Our team of designers, animators and project managers will be happy to be of assistance, recommending you an explainer video type that will best suit your professional needs.