12 great animated videos in the software/tech industry (marketing inspiration)
In 2022, 78% of people say they've been convinced to buy or download a piece of software or app by watching a video, and 96% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service (Wyzowl 2022)
The power of video content to educate your customers about what you offer can't be denied, and its use and influence have been growing with each passing year, video is here to stay!
To help move those creative juices, we will be bringing you 12 great examples of animated videos in the software industry that can help inspire your next animation project!
If you are unsure of how you can implement video content like this in your marketing pipeline, check out 6 great ways to use motion design in your marketing!
Why should you use inspiration when creating animated videos?
Having inspiration and references of great effective work can help guide the creative decisions that go into the planning and strategic aspects of your content.
All art is derivative, but of course, you shouldn't directly copy your competitor's work or you will risk coming across as another "Me too" business, instead, use references like this as inspiration to take the best aspects of each piece that best suit your business and message and combine them into your very own masterpiece.
Having references like this will help make the process faster, more organized, and clear.
1) Google Search on '21
This piece created for Google by BLOCK & TACKLE is a great example of how having a great sound design can help elevate your video without the need for overly complex or expensive movement.
A lot of the text animation and transitions in this video are fairly simple, with lots of simple cut transitions and a flat design language, which is brought to life by the editing and the custom sound design.
2) Microsoft Sharepoint | Product Film
This brand film made by Tendril Studio is a fantastic example of how you can use motion design to interpret seemingly boring & dull concepts and bring them to life through design and digital cinematography.
Also implementing great rhythmic editing and custom music in combination with clean texturing, lighting, and camera work makes it a story to remember.
If you wanna learn more about the exhaustive design process behind this piece check out their case study
3) Webflow - Welcome to the Age of No-code
How about an animated video trailer telling the story of your vision and how your solution will change the industry forever? This is what this great piece from Ordinary Folk achieves.
With a unique combination of 2D and 3D animation techniques and a consistent art style thorough the movie that hints at the strong creative direction and teamwork, this is truly a delight for the eyes.
4) MS Office 365 | Brand film
Tendril Studio and Microsoft strike again with another visual fest made to showcase their brand for the Microsoft Ignite Conference.
Creating animated 3-dimensional representations of apps and software has been a strong trend in recent years, probably thanks to the influence of these great examples of how you can bring software out of the screen and onto the digital landscape, coming to life.
5) The power of Like
Although not exactly related to software, this piece by Vucko is not only deep and insightful but beautifully designed, being able to communicate emotions through simple shapes and lines.
You don't need to follow every rule and design trend to tell a compelling story, sometimes thinking outside of the box and aiming for an original style can truly help your video differentiate and become memorable
6) Asana: Timeline
Don't just tell your customers what your tool does, but show them, that is exactly what this animation from Oddfellows achieves by turning the Asana timeline into platforms, and having users be animated characters physically interacting with the UI of this popular project management software.
7) IBM - Security
Part of a series of 3 promotional videos created for IBM by BUCK, a solid example of how you can leverage shorter videos and split concepts into multiple videos to help with repetition and for your audience to retain the information a lot better.
Although these videos might seem simple and short, you can see in the credits for the Vimeo page that more than 36 people worked together creating this campaign, which speaks of the complexity required in creating work of this caliber.
8) SAP - Innovations
Another beautiful video from Ordinary Folk features their signature mix of 2D and 3D with traditional animation techniques.
It was created in just 1 month! This just speaks of how efficient motion design can be with good enough project management and a cooperative client.
9) Research / Data Processing
How about a more abstract style? A highly satisfying video from Media.Work, with no voice-over
Just showing what your work is all about, motion design is great at communicating concepts, even when no words are being said and no text is being displayed.
10) Your Data
In this video from IV, Data is being represented as animated widgets instead of the classic 0s and 1s, and it works! It becomes an engaging piece that communicates a really important message for every business in this modern era.
11) Google Material Design
Animated by motion design legend Sander van Dijk, this is a piece that takes advantage of a minimal design language with strong editing and design principles that keep users eye in the right place, even when there are a lot of elements and movement happening at once.
12) Reddit formative title sequence
Nothing like a good title sequence to get excited about the content you are about to share with them, What we love from this piece from IV is how the whole scene is being torn apart, if you scroll the video in reverse, you'll see how it's all built from the mind.
It's really neat details like this that can help your animated branding elements stick, but of course, just having animation at all to up your production value makes a big difference.
Bonus: Onward Internet
Last but not least, this animated spot from BUCK is a showcase of how engaging it can be to implement mixed media in animation and utilize different styles but keep the direction and message constant the whole way.
Would you believe it was made 7 years ago? Truly great motion design never ages!
In conclusion
Possibilities are endless when it comes to what you can create when using animation for your video marketing, from cinematic 3D films to minimalist videos with basic shapes, motion design gives you the freedom to choose what suits your brand and your audience the best.
Next time you create your animated videos, keep some of these pieces handy as references to inspire your work!
And if you are interested in learning more about the process behind how these pieces are made, feel free to book a free consultation where we will walk you through our motion design process.
