If you’re reading this blog post, you probably know that video is the web’s best-kept user engagement secret. According to some estimates, marketing videos have the potential to boost conversion rates by more than 60%.
The numbers make sense. Videos provide a compelling, visually driven forum to tell your brand’s story – they force brands to condense messaging into its most concise form. Given that attention spans are shrinking, videos are an absolute must for brands seeking to build human-to-human connections.
Some brands invest in creating high-impact, short and sweet explainer videos. And then there are companies that take the concept of video marketing to new heights. These brands are creating documentaries, works of art, and narratives that inspire the imagination. They’re redefining the concept of video marketing.
These are some of our favorite types of projects at Demo Duck—the opportunity to use video to showcase a story of an individual or an organization's mission. A narrative that has some emotional depth, to ultimately help further a marketing goal. We have a few projects like this. But a favorite that comes to mind is when we produced this video for RefugeeOne's capital campaign to help them raise money for their new space.
We're also always inspired by our peers in the video production world and their work for brands around the world. Here are 5 brilliant marketing videos we’ve found in our research – all produced by brands – that will inspire you.
1. The Value of Google Earth
Lost Indian Boy Finds His Family, 26 Years After Falling Asleep on a Train
Saroo Munshi Khan was five years old when he fell asleep on a stationary train after taking a break from begging for change with his 14-year-old brother Guddu. When Khan woke up, he was 1,500 km away from home. The next few months took him to the streets, to an orphanage, and eventually to Australia, where he was eventually adopted as part of a new family. All the while, he wondered what happened to his family back home – who searched relentlessly for Saroo too.
With the help of Google Earth, Saroo was ultimately reunited with his family. This video, produced by Google, chronicles Saroo’s journey home.
Impact:
This video became a viral hit, receiving widespread media coverage from major online portals such as The Next Web, The Huffington Post, and Vanity Fair. This documentary-meets-marketing engine positions the value of Google Earth, something everyone uses, in a new light.
Inspiration for Video Marketers:
- Scratch the surface to find one customer’s unique experience.
- Illuminate the human side to your company and brand.
- Demonstrate value and impact – beyond money.
2. Salesforce Acquires Buddy Media
Buddy Media Founder Michael Lazerow Shares His Journey
This isn’t a marketing video per-se, but it does tell the story of two marketing giants: BuddyMedia and Salesforce.
The video features Michael Lazerow’s journey through entrepreneurship – his personal health struggles, near-death experiences, failures, and eventual successes with his co-founder and wife.
The video illuminates the heart, soul, and personal story behind Buddy Media, and all of these details come to life without Michael Lazerow saying a single word. It’s an unforgettable deep-dive into the company acquisition that was worth $700M.
Impact:
This video became Michael Lazerow’s ‘official statement’ describing BuddyMedia’s acquisition to Salesforce. The video received press attention from Mashable, Huffington Post, and others. The video illuminates the human side and story behind a very large business acquisition. It helps audiences remember that there is more to the story than marketing and money.
Inspiration for Video Marketers:
- Your storyline is infinitely more valuable than an extensive marketing budget and this video proves it.
- It’s invaluable for your founder and CEO to have an active presence in describing your brand.
- Every business has a human story behind it. Your brand can cultivate one too.
3. Hello Flo’s Camp Gyno
Subscription Startup Hello Flo Makes Being a Woman Awesome
It’s a tampon ad like you’ll never believe. Conversations about menstruation have been shamed and quieted for centuries. Now here’s an adorable (and hilarious) girl bringing the conversation to the forefront of media attention. The video is equal parts shocking and heartily funny, telling the story of a girl at summer camp who recently gets her period.
“It was the beginning of summer, and no one knew me at camp,” she begins. “I was a just a big random loser. Then, things changed. I got my period. The red badge of courage!”
The girl appoints herself “camp gyno,” and hell breaks loose.
What’s even more powerful than the story in the video is the story behind it. The camp gyno, Macy McGrail, is the coolest kid ever. What she learned from doing the video? That she’s excited to get her period and become a woman one day – that there is no shame in your body and who you are.
She was asked in an interview, “Why do you think so many women love your video?”
Here’s how she responded:
“Because it makes people proud of being a girl and it makes them really think about what’s going on. It makes them think of the good things about getting your period.”
Impact:
Women across the United States have fallen in love with the Camp Gyno, bringing an influx of attention to an otherwise unknown, brand new startup. This $6,000 video amassed over 6 million views in a matter of days. Not to mention, HelloFlo has sparked an invaluable conversation for women around the world.
Inspiration for Video Marketers:
- Don’t be afraid to put a great – read: hilarious – idea “out there”; especially if it is, in fact, “out there.”
- Success isn’t dependent on your budget; it’s dependent on your brand’s ability to engage an audience.
- Spark a conversation! Let marketing be a channel for your brand to explain what it stands for.
4. Red Bull Music Academy, “What Difference Does It Make?”
Red Bull Music Academy Creates a Film About Musicians in New York
Affiliated with Red Bull (the beverage), the Red Bull Music Academy is a world-traveling series of music workshops and festivals. The Academy began in 1998 and has traveled all over the globe to Berlin, Cape Town, Sao Paulo, Barcelona, Toronto, London, New York, and Beyond.
To celebrate the organization’s 15th anniversary, the Academy produced a 90-minute documentary that “delves deeply into the many challenges, stages of development, and triumphs that musicians experience.”
The goal of the video is to illuminate more than the Red Bull Music Academy – it’s to illuminate what the organization means to the world of music.
Impact:
This video has amassed hundreds of thousands of views, educating the world about the value of music. Through this documentary Red Bull Music Academy is able to reach audiences from all over the world – to spread the organization’s’ mission.
Inspiration for Video Marketers:
- Keep your marketing near and dear to your company’s vision.
- Involve your stakeholders in the production process; give the community a stake in building your brand.
- In addition to showcasing what you do, explain why it matters and who you’re impacting
5. Intel’s “Look Inside” Film
Erik Weihenmeyer’s Journey to the Top of Everest
This 90-second video tells the story of a man who has overcome every single obstacle to climbing the world’s tallest mountain.
There’s a revelation (which we won’t tell you) around the 1-minute mark of the video, where audiences learn exactly what Weihenmeyer pushed through to reach his goal. It’s a powerful, emotional moment.
“One of the shortfalls I think many people have is that they allow all these distractions and fears and doubts to get into their head and sabotage them,” Weihenmayer says.
It’s hard to believe that this is an actual commercial for a technology brand.
Regardless, the message hits home to technical and non-technical audiences alike – our imaginations empower us to push through any glass ceilings.
Impact:
This video won ‘ad of the day’ on AdWeek. Intel has also offered to donate $30K to No Barriers USA, an organization that helps people with disabilities.
Inspiration for Video Marketers:
- Make your marketing bigger than your brand. Ultimately, your message is about your audience.
- Don’t be afraid to speak to your audience’s heart. Marketing is just as much about the emotional brain as it is about the ‘rational’ brain.
- Surprise your audiences by doing something outside of your brand’s comfort zone.
Final Thoughts
The best marketers are equal parts creative and analytical. Push past ‘best practices’ to let human interest guide your strategy. Your marketing videos have the potential to be so much more than a simple sales pitch. Challenge your team to warm your audiences’ souls. And, if needed, don't hesitate to reach out to animated explainer video companies like, well, us!