I still remember watching Tim Burton’s ‘Night Before Christmas’ for the third time on Christmas eve with my loose Santa hat on back in 1993. Every time I watched it, the movie gave off a hauntingly pleasurable experience.

It could be partially attributed to the beautiful world the movie takes us to, the great story, and the adrenaline rush triggered through a breathtaking viewing experience filled with creativity. At that time, I didn’t know how the movie was shot, what went into the process, or that it would become a powerful marketing tool in the future.

Fast forward to now, what used to be every child’s guilty pleasure on a cozy Christmas night is now a primary marketing tool of every major brand, from Samsung to John Lewis and even BMW, using it in their creative ways. Yup, I’m talking about stop-motion!

Why is stop motion still popular?

You might think, well, ok, it’s understandable why stop-motion was popular back in the day. We didn’t have many technologies to create something more realistic and immersive as today’s 3D animation and VFX. But why is it still popular?

Actually, there are many reasons for that. Social media and the internet are cluttered with conventional 3D and 2D content. Every second, a generic and overly familiar ad is thrown at you, which you have somehow got used to skipping.

In such a situation, you need something that deviates from the conventional norms. Something that people are not much used-to watching. Something that stands out. And stop-motion is just what that is. An old-school, highly captivating piece of video art that is as nostalgic, aesthetic, and explanatory as possible, especially if you are targeting an adult audience.

And guess what, even if you don’t want to go towards that “cartoonish” side of animation, that’s totally okay because stop motion has evolved into so many types that there’s always a way to get around to convey your message.

That being said, let’s tell you about 4 of the most creative ways you can integrate stop-motion in your marketing campaign!

4 creative ways to use stop-motion animation in marketing

1.  Celebrating seasons and holidays

This might seem a bit absurd at first, but it works, and many brands have been doing this lately. Given that using videos in marketing is all about resonating with the needs of your target audience and making a deeper connection with them, nothing is better than joining them in the excitement. It may be the arrival of spring or autumn, or simply something big like Christmas.

It can be something as short as a Twitter GIF by Starbucks, or a full-fledged aesthetically made Christmas ad by John Lewis.

Just for reference, the latter garnered over 50 million views on Youtube alone and is remembered as one of the most iconic ads.

2.  Telling your brand story

Are you creative enough to confine your whole brand story in just a few seconds shot? If yes! Then it’s another creative way to connect to your audience through stop motion. All you need to do is identify the core things your brand values, what your services are, and what comes to mind when someone says the brand name. With that figured out, you can make a stellar stop-motion ad. Etsy does this all the time, so I can’t see why you shouldn’t.

3.  Showcasing products

With stop motion, you can make your product tell its own story. Yup! Simple voice-over and no long mambo-jumbos. Just a linear video consisting of several frames in which the product moves and functions all by itself. The best thing is, this type of advertising isn’t much common so there’s a good chance that you will catch your audience’s attention and even make them watch it to the end. Kettle chips ad is a classic example of it.

4.  Educating your audience

Ever thought of giving a fun twist to your usually boring how-to videos? How about doing it now? Stop-motion short-form videos are a fun and enjoyable way to educate and intrigue your audience through fun animation. You can use them on platforms with less average viewing time, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Youtube Shorts. For reference, Checkout this fun how-to video!

On a final note

Stop-motion is getting more and more popular in marketing with every passing day. Such videos promote user engagement and are also beneficial in generating better ROI. In this short article, I shed light upon why stop-motion is an effective marketing tool, and how you can integrate it into your video marketing campaign. Hope my two cents on the topic helped you gain some valuable insights. See you in the next one!