It’s hard to have a standout ad. People are flooded with video ads on every device, all day, every day. But animated ads can grab attention and stand out in a crowd.
Animation advertising has become one of the smartest ways for brands to set themselves apart, simplify complex ideas, and connect with their audience. From playful character spots to sleek motion graphics, animated ads aren’t just creative, they’re strategic.
In this post, we’ll show you why animation advertising works, share examples from brands that nailed it, and help you figure out where it fits in your 2025 marketing game plan.
What is Animation Advertising?
Animation ads are exactly what they sound like - video ads featuring animation to promote a product, service, or idea.
Instead of filming actors or sets, animated ads rely on design, creative movement, and storytelling. Think motion graphics, 2D characters, or even 3D product demos. The animation style should fit with the message, but the overall goal is the same: grab attention and make it stick.
You’ve seen these ads everywhere:
- A quick explainer video on a homepage
- A looping banner on Instagram
- A short animated video ad before a YouTube video
Animation in advertising works across marketing channels, platforms, and devices. Flexibility is one of its biggest strengths.
Compared to traditional video, animated ads:
- Are easier to update
- Don’t get dated as quickly
- Offer more creative flexibility
That’s why more brands are leaning into animation. It’s clear, engaging, and often more memorable than live-action content, especially when you only have a few seconds to make an impression.
Why Brands Use Animated Ads
More companies are shifting from traditional ads to animation, and for good reason.
- Cost-Effective
Live-action filming can add up. Animation skips the gear, set crews, locations, and actors, delivering high-quality results without the overhead. (And hassle) - Easy to Update
Need to tweak a line or product detail? No reshoots, just update the file and re-export. - Stronger Storytelling
With animation, you’re not limited by reality. You can visualize anything: data, connections, journeys, inner workings - even turning your product into a character. - Universal Appeal
Animation works across languages, ages, and markets. It’s distinctive and holds attention. It’s ideal for global reach without heavy localization.
When you combine all of these benefits with proven results, it’s easy to see why animation in advertising is becoming the go-to choice for marketers today.
Are Animated Ads Effective?
Absolutely, and the data proves it.
Animated ads do more than look good. They deliver results across the board, from boosting click-through rates to improving brand recall and conversions. Animation often outperforms both static visuals and traditional video content, especially when clarity and creativity matter.
One reason? It captures attention fast. People are naturally drawn to motion, color, and unique visuals. Animation checks all three boxes.
Animation also makes complex ideas simple. When people understand your message quickly, they’re more likely to act.
Animated content keeps viewers engaged, and that drives better results.
Metrics That Matter
Here’s where animation tends to excel:
- Click-Through Rates (CTR)
Animated ads often outperform static banners, especially on social platforms where motion draws the eye. - Engagement Time
Viewers stay longer with animated content. A clean motion sequence or explainer loop can hold attention longer than typical ad formats. - Brand Recall
Animation helps people remember what they saw. The mix of visuals and storytelling sticks in a way that static ads often don’t. - Conversion Rates
Clearer messaging drives more conversions. Animation makes it easier to walk people through a product or service, leading to better decision-making.
Where Animation Works Better
There are places where animation simply works better than other styles.
If you’re promoting a tech product, software, or complex service, animation can break things down in a way live action often can’t. You can zoom in, visualize data, or show a process step-by-step, making it way easier to understand (and remember).
Combining visuals with moving graphics or text can drive a point home and make sure it sticks.
It’s also easier to adapt for global audiences. Animated content can be localized quickly and affordably without re-shoots.
This is why SaaS companies, finance brands, healthcare tech, and educational platforms rely heavily on animation in advertising. It’s flexible, scalable, and easier to update when things change.
Best Animated Ads
Some animated ads do more than just rack up views, they stick with people. They tell a story, create a feeling, and leave a message that lasts long after the scroll.
Here are a few examples of animated ads done right and why we think they worked so well:
Headspace
Calm Mind Explainer
Headspace racked up 70 million views by using cute, bold animation to guide users through a super-relatable journey of daily stress and chaos that can be turned to calm with meditation and mindfulness.
Why it worked:
The animation has a simplistic style that is engaging and immersive. Complex ideas like anxiety and stress are broken down into simple, understandable (very relatable) bites. The little brain, well…makes you think! They remove the stigma around meditation by making it simple to understand and easy to start. It’s a great example of how animated explainer videos can make difficult topics feel less intimidating.
Oreo
Wonderfilled Campaign
Oreo imagined what might happen if villains ate cookies. Dracula made friends. The Big Bad Wolf stopped blowing down houses. Great White Sharks made sea-creature friends.
Why it worked:
Playful 2D animation, catchy, whimsical music, and a lighthearted tone made the message stick. The ad turned a basic snack into part of a joyful, imaginative world where sharing and good snacks turn scary story staples into friendly new characters. Perfect boost of brand identity for audiences, young and old.
Kroger
Lower Than Low Deals
Kroger paired super immersive animation with a song no one can get out of their head when they hear it to give a new spin on “getting low”.
Why it worked:
The textures and 3D space combined with the unlikely, silly character dancing - and of course, the use of a song everyone knows for a funny twist - garnered an audience of over 2.2 million to hear their low prices messaging.
Erste Group Bank
What Would Christmas Be Without Love
Ever been teary-eyed from a bank commercial?? Well, now is your chance. Erste Bank used movie-like animation to develop an adorable character’s story about loneliness, fitting in, Christmas, and ultimately the love of friends
Why it worked:
Erste Bank is known for its amazing holiday videos. This one is a big favorite with over 93 million views. The texture, animation, and highly expressive characters weave a wordless story tuned to a beautiful song that pulls at your heartstrings and keeps you fully immersed in the story. It’s an ad you want to watch, rewatch, and share with others for a feel-good moment.
Coca-Cola
Masterpiece
Coca-Cola brings masterpieces to life with wildly immersive animation that weaves in and out of famous works of art, starting with, of course, Andy Warhol’s Large Coca-Cola
Why it worked:
By matching the style and texture of vastly different works of art to bring them to life and make fully immersive spaces, Coca-Cola engulfs the viewer in a narrative where the star masterpiece is their product. With a mixed-media approach, they blend the real world and fantasy, culminating in a message that Coca-Cola is creative fuel.
Sherwin-Williams
2025 Basketball Commercial
Sherwin-Williams creates a full basketball experience in a world of color and paint swatches.
Why it worked:
Full of vibrancy and texture, the animated opener offers a full 3D experience where you realize every character, space, and color is made of paint swatches. Perfectly matching into real life, Sherwin-Williams encourages viewers to “capture moments in color”, leaving the viewer to consider the endless possibilities.
Dumb Ways to Die
MTM Safety Campaign
This viral safety campaign, started by Metro Trains Melbourne, used bright, cheerful animation and a huge dose of humor to deliver its serious safety message.
Why it worked:
The contrast between cute (but extremely naive) bean characters and dark humor made it unforgettable. The funny tune was a global phenomenon that topped iTunes charts (& won 28 awards!). It earned millions of views and quickly went from ad to viral phenomenon. This simple, quirky ad sparked a corresponding game franchise, complete with merch
Each brand used animation in its own way, some to simplify, others to spark emotion or make an impact. But they all nailed the same core idea: telling a clear, visual story that people wanted to watch.
Key Elements That Make Animated Ads Work
Not all animated ads are created the same. The most effective ones aren’t just fun to watch; they're built on a foundation of clarity, strategy, and smart creative choices.
Here are the four elements that consistently make it successful:
1. A Strong Script and Message
Animation might be the format, but the story is still everything.
The best animated ads start with a clear, focused script. Every line should support your message and guide the viewer toward a single goal: to buy, learn, or remember.
The strongest scripts also tap into emotion. Humor, nostalgia, empathy, aha, and surprise all help animated stories connect on a deeper level.
2. The Right Visual Style
How your ad looks can shape how your brand feels.
Choose an animation style that matches your tone and audience:
- 2D animation → smooth, fun, and friendly
- Isometric Animation → clarifying, distinctive, and big picture
- 3D animation → sleek, immersive, and product-focused
- Motion graphics or whiteboard → simple, clear, and professional
Your visuals don’t need to be complex. They just need to be intentional and aligned with the story you’re telling.
3. Voiceover and Sound Design
Audio is a quiet hero in animated ads. A solid voiceover gives your message personality and flow. Music sets the tone. And sound effects can subtly guide attention from scene to scene.
Even short animated video ads benefit from thoughtful sound design. It adds polish, holds interest, and helps viewers stay focused, even when the volume is low.
4. Smart Distribution
Even the best animated ad won’t drive results if no one sees it.
Once your video is ready, placement matters. Think about where your audience actually consumes content and tailor distribution accordingly.
Animated content performs especially well on:
- Social media feeds
- YouTube pre-rolls
- Landing pages
- Email campaigns
A targeted rollout helps you get the most from your video without wasting time or budget.
When these four elements, script, visuals, sound, and strategy, come together, you don’t just get a good-looking ad; you get an animated campaign that connects, converts, and sticks.
How Animation Fits into Modern Ad Strategy
Animation isn’t just for explainer videos or big brand campaigns anymore. It’s a flexible content format that works across your entire marketing funnel from awareness to conversion.
Here’s how animation fits into a modern strategy.
Animation To Fuel the Funnel
Animation works at every stage of the customer journey:
Top of Funnel (Awareness):
Use animated content to introduce your brand or product. Short, engaging videos for social media, paid ads, or YouTube pre-rolls are great ways to grab attention.
Middle of Funnel (Consideration):
This is where animated explainer videos shine. They help your audience understand what you offer and how it solves their problem in a clear, visual way.
Bottom of Funnel (Decision):
When it’s time to convert, clarity and trust matter most. Use animated product videos or comparison-style visuals to reinforce value and reduce hesitation.
Animation Ad Costs
One of the most common questions businesses ask about animation advertising is: How much does it actually cost?
The honest answer? It depends.
Pricing varies based on a few key factors:
- Animation style (2D, 3D, motion graphics)
- Length of the video
- Complexity of the visuals
- Turnaround time
A 30-second 2D explainer is going to cost a lot less than a 90-second 3D ad with custom characters and voiceover.
The low end for pro animation is generally around $5K. More custom projects can get to $50K+
The best way to get a custom quote for your project is to contact us to discuss your video. Or try out our interactive calculator to get an estimated range!
Conclusion
Animation advertising isn’t just a creative choice, it’s a smart strategy for modern marketers. It helps brands stand out, simplify complex ideas, and connect with audiences across every stage of the funnel.
From quick social clips to in-depth explainers, animated content is flexible, scalable, and consistently outperforms static visuals and live-action ads.
Launching a new product? Refreshing your brand story? Animation advertising gives you the clarity and creativity to make it work.
How Levitate Media Helps Brands Create Animated Ads That Work
At Levitate Media, we don’t just create animated videos, we craft animated ads that drive real business results.
From the first draft of your script to the final frame of your video, we focus on one goal: making your message connect with the right audience.
Whether you need a bold commercial, a clear explainer, or a polished product video, our team brings strategy, creativity, and storytelling together to deliver content that works.
Over the years, we’ve helped brands across industries use animation in advertising to:
- Increase engagement
- Simplify complex products or services
- Launch new campaigns
- Strengthen brand recall
What sets us apart is our versatility. We work across styles.
Need something unique to match your brand? We’ve got you covered. Our creative team can tailor a custom style to meet your specific vision and goals.
If you’re ready to turn your story into a scroll-stopping animated ad, we’re here to help you bring it to life. Let’s Talk Video
