22 of the Best Animated Commercials of All Time

Just like any other business in the past, I used to rely on flyers or banner ads to promote my service. But now, as someone who helps businesses make animations for their video ads, I opt for animated commercials too.

Video marketing has become a crucial need in my entire business marketing strategy. In fact, it is now a key business driver at Breadnbeyond.

I find animated videos effective in engaging a broad audience and captivating them with storytelling. It makes it much easier for me to evoke emotions that resonate with my audience, so I can easily show a sense of friendliness for my brand.

It’s no surprise that companies put the idea of a well-crafted animated video at the forefront of their commercial strategy. It’s the most effective and easiest way to get as close as possible to the audience.

We all want to grab the audience’s attention and trigger the right emotion that leads to the desired action.

But, what actually is an animated commercial? 

Well, let’s get more in-depth, shall we?

What Is an Animated Commercial?

The use of animation in commercials is nothing new. It has been a mainstay of advertising since the early ’40s.

In 1941, Botany Lambs, a clothing company is often cited as the first company that used an animated commercial for the first time to introduce their Botany Mills ties collection.

I found these vintage snapshots of it:

Source: cartoon research

After Botany Lambs first pranced across television screens, animated commercials grew in popularity in the decades that followed.

Fueled by the increasing access to the internet, its popularity has explosively risen until today, and it shows no signs of slowing down.

Simply put, an animated commercial is a short 30-second or more video that conveys information about a product.

It uses enchanting characters with a captivating storyline that can tug at any audience’s heartstrings.

Animated ads normally start by addressing a problem and quickly move on to the solution.

After they have captivated their potential customers enough in the first few seconds, they go for a powerful call to action for the ending.

Unlike any other video commercials, through that interesting storyline, an animated ad makes it evident that they’re selling a product, and you’d better buy it.

The combination of stand-out characters, an easy-to-digest storyline, captivating background music, or even a polished voice-over is hard to ignore. It can be precisely enticing for you to buy the product.

Why do Companies Use an Animated Commercial?

There are a lot of valid reasons why companies, including myself, use animated commercials.

One of those is because it is easy to grasp and can be easily shared on multiple platforms, as well as its ability to resonate well with any type of audience.

Not to mention the unstoppable growth of the internet and social media that makes instant information sharing possible.

Animated commercials make my product stand out compared to those businesses that still use conventional and old-school videos for marketing their products.

I can represent the distinctiveness and exclusivity of my company. It’s a perfect start to creating a positive impression on my potential customers.

The unique designs and characters, combined with an astounding storyline, have excellent potential to go viral and easily stick in my audiences’ minds.

It quickly becomes the very type of video content that they love to share with their friends. Isn’t that just the exact scenario you want them to do?

In the bargain, the animated commercial is more cost-effective than the live-action ones.

The costs for the real actors alone could even account for a large percentage of the animation project. It’s definitely a risk-free move to try for businesses of all sizes.

One way or another, it effectively increases brand awareness, sales, and conversion.

In fact, animated commercials reportedly typically have higher engagement rates up to 30% more than live-action commercials.

Animated Commercial Is Used in Different Industries

Animated commercials explain complex information about the products concisely to the audience.

Hence, the audience starts to associate themselves with these animated commercials, and eventually, they turn into loyal customers.

That’s why it’s an incredibly powerful marketing tool for every business, even in different industries.

Starting from the food, beverage, and technology industry, health, financial companies, and even e-commerce incorporate animated videos into their commercial strategy. 

Moreover, animation seamlessly creates or reproduces an environment that could not be accessed by a live-action camera crew.

The endless imagination and possibilities make it possible to draw particular objects.

Can you film what‘s inside a human body and make it a commercial? Would you be able to shoot what’s inside a machine precisely?

No, you can’t.

My animated branding video itself has been helping me showcase how every project is made in the house. Of course, this can be done using live-action video, too.

But wouldn’t it be far more captivating, cost-effective, and easily shareable if it were animated?

Therefore, techy industries like healthcare providers, IT companies, or fintech startups use animated commercials for the rescue.

Animated Video Commercials Help You Get the Word Out

A well-crafted animated video commercial captures the audience in a matter of seconds, exquisitely.

The creativity throughout the animated commercials will make a brand stand out and make it easy to be remembered by the audience.

Companies with animated commercials are most likely to have a better recall value as they present brief information in a visually engaging manner.

Hence, it engages potential customers more than any other video since it is 100 % tailored to offer a genuinely compelling story that can captivate them.

It makes sense if we say that animated video commercials are entirely sufficient to raise brand awareness and seamlessly let potential customers know what a product can do for them.

So, if you’re planning to market your products using animated commercials, I’ve collected some popular animated commercials to inspire you.

22 Most Popular Animated Commercials

Here are the well-known animated advertisement examples that I’ve found.

1. Nespresso On Ice

Nespresso’s 30-second ad animation was released in 2017 to promote their limited-edition ice blends. I love how it effortlessly takes us to a summer view dream and gives us a taste of refreshment of intense iced coffee.

The summery background music and well-picked sound effects get us to drown in the beautiful animation. It effectively did an excellent job of replacing voice-over. It’s no surprise that this advertisement animation has more than 172,385 views on YouTube.

Create a Refreshing Explainer Video

2. Nestle

Nestle is a health, wellness, and nutrition company. In 2021, Nestle released animated advertising about what they do to build a more sustainable future.

Using a stunning animated commercial, Nestle is able to deliver complex information about its commitments to society and the environment in less than three minutes. 

This Nestle animated ad is short and simple and doesn’t try too hard to accomplish too much. The thoughtful sound design and eye-opening motion graphic animation are impressive and add little moments of joy during our viewing experience. 

3. Silver Arrow Band

This is our own project. Our team at Breadnbeyond explains the whole Silver Arrow Band service in a minimalistic, slick, and clear explainer video.

The video addresses a problem from the get-go. That’s a smart way to grab the viewers’ attention in the first few seconds. 

The uplifting background music and detailed sound effects bring the animation to life. Not to mention that the well-toned color makes this animated explainer video even more eye-catching. This simple yet compelling cartoon advertising is worth watching all the way through!

Get My Sleek Animated Video

4. Cadbury Screme Egg: They’re Here

 

Cadbury’s limited edition product called Creme Eggs depicted a classic horror movie Dawn of the Dead.

In this hilarious 39-second animated commercial, Cadbury jumps on the zombie apocalypse (in the graveyard!) bandwagon to captivate the audience’s attention.

This amusing advert animation convinces the audience enough to try the spooky-looking Screme Egg for Halloween. 

Using a storyline that can only be found in novels can be quite helpful in marketing limited-edition products.

No wonder this well-crafted Cadbury Screme Egg commercial has over 4 million views on YouTube since it was uploaded in 2013.

5. Cadbury Dairy Milk

Another example from Cadbury. This time, they showcasee the texture and flavor of their milk chocolate in this amusing animated video commercial. We all know the creamy taste of the chocolate is delicious enough to make aliens dance. 

To be honest, the catchy dance and background song make me linger in this advertising animation in our minds. Unsurprisingly, this captivating animated commercial earned more than 49,188,090 views on YouTube.

From this Cadbury animated ad, I know that sometimes, we should start taking the blunt approach playfully to win the potential customers’ hearts.

6. McDonald’s Mobile App Launch

McDonald’s animated commercial features a new mobile app with an animated video that uses well-known movie characters.

This simple 35-second animated advertisement precisely informs us that we can easily share a meal with friends, family, or even long-lost loved ones using the McDonald’s mobile app.

Because of these animated commercials, the mobile app successfully reached seven million strong downloads within just two years after it is launched.

7. Haagen-Dazs “Real Relationships”

This ad’s cartoon is based on the 2013 advertising campaign, in which Bradley Cooper was eating from a tub of ice cream. It encourages couples to make an effort to spend more time on Valentine’s Day. 

It asks us a question so we can directly resonate with the video and grab our attention from the first seconds. Also, the stunning animated kinetic typography convinces us to focus on the video all the way through.

8. Zomato Animated Commercial

Zomato’s cartoon advertisement video campaign features an app for online ordering and table reservations to enable restaurants to connect with customers online. In this short 25-second commercial, we know that we can order any food anywhere with the Zomato app.

9. Starbucks

In this animated video, Starbucks featured the red cups that they use during the Christmas season.

The jingles background music and snowy animation make us craving for Starbucks Christmas drinks to feel the Christmas spirit even more.

I always think that Starbucks perfectly captures the essence of the holiday season with their campaigns and animated commercials.

What we can learn from this is that we should consider what type of energy we want to create and deliver to our potential customers and select the elements that can precisely support it.

10. Oreo: Wonderfilled

This commercial ad brings so many memories. The catchy tunes (I’m sure some of us even remember the lyrics!) and seamless yet simple motion make this ad memorable. 

Of course, the sharks and seals are so adorable, making the ad even more interesting to watch.

The message is that sharing the cookies can transform even the most feared beast into friends. That’s why this animated advertising video undoubtedly deserve a spot on my list.

11. Android: Be Together, Not The Same

This fascinating minute-long commercial is a take on a classic game; rock, paper, scissors. Android offers you a breathtaking storyline that makes you watch the commercial with your eyes wide open.

The commercial also introduces us to a campaign for anti-bullying. It ends with the Android slogan “Be Together, Not the Same.”

In this inspiring commercial, Android uses uplifting and sentimental background music to engage the audience and stick them around to keep watching the commercial all the way through.

It’s a risky move for Android not to use a phone to demonstrate its features. Instead, it tells us an inspiring and heart-warming story we can learn, so the risk was well worth the reward.

Produce My Story-Driven Animated Video

12. Lyft: June, Life is Better When You Share The Ride

With this tear-jerker short film, Lyft introduces itself as a ride-sharing company.

The fine-tuned colors, seamless animation style, sentimental storyline and music, and heartfelt characters give most of us a warm cozy feeling.

For a second, we forget that we’re watching a commercial because it’s superb. This heartwarming animated commercial is enough to show Lyft’s friendliness as a ride-sharing company.

It’s no surprise that this wholesome animated commercial—directed by Academy Award winner, John Kahr, has over 7,775,385 views on YouTube.

13. Google Project Sunroof

The Google Project Sunroof is about Google’s initiative on solar power. Within just 90 seconds, Google is able to explain how much sunlight falls on every roof with a stunning animated video. 

The compelling narratives and astounding animation make it easier for us to understand the undoubtedly complex project. This commercial has been watched over 2,695,178 times on YouTube.

14. Dropbox

Within 90 seconds, Dropbox introduces its new features in the most captivating way. The eye-catching yet straightforward animation combined with a concise script and voice-over makes the step-by-step guide easy to digest.

Dropbox successfully shows how the app works for users in such an engaging way. From this stunning animated commercial, we know that a tremendous animated commercial doesn’t have to be complicated.

Let’s Create an Elegant Animated Video

15. Coca-Cola – Happiness Factory

Seriously, who hasn’t watched this ad anyway? It’s an oldie but a goodie.

Coca-Cola created this iconic animated ad back in 2006. It takes us on a journey through a Coca-Cola vending machine into a magical world full of wondrous characters that work to bottled and chilled the Coke before it is delivered to the outside.

Besides the intriguing fantasy storyline, the main point of this ad is the incredible execution of the 3D animation and the details. It’s a work of art.

16. HSBC

https://youtu.be/koioFSKN-l0

HSBC cut through the noise with a sustainability campaign commercial in 2017. This 58-second commercial tells us how HSBC helps businesses by helping them identify efficiencies in their supply chains.

HSBC didn’t abandon voiceover without a plan. The simple running text that goes along with the animation helps the audience stay focused and digest the commercial easily.

17. American Express “2016 Careers Campaign”

American Express uses a 45-second to introduce the 2016 American Express’ Careers Campaign. These stunning animated commercials persuade potential career seekers to explore their potential by joining the company.

With a polished voice-over, a fine-tuned script, and a simple-yet-compelling animation, these commercials are well-crafted for a career opportunities campaign.

I really appreciate how they effectively convey the message of professional growth and opportunity here.

If you’re on a company that is looking for candidates, consider producing an animated commercial video like American Express. It might be just what you need to engage the best candidates.

Create My Own Animated Recruitment Video

18. Agros: Aliens ‘Mess’

 

Agro’s commercials are known for their famous alien family mascot, which has appeared on television since 2011.

In this 30-second commercial, Agros continued the popular story of the blue alien family with all the members so busy cooking and making a mess in the kitchen. Then, it segues into essential kitchen appliances that you can shop for online in Agros.

The unique characters, astonishing animation style using CGI and live-action, and captivating storyline tempt the audience to watch it all the way through and even expect to see the next Agro commercial.

19. British Gas

This short 3D animated commercial tells us about quick service and the keen desire of British Gas to solve their customers’ problems.

Within only 30 seconds, we already understand that British Gas provides courteous and friendly service. The fine-tuned script with an alluring penguin and human characters concisely explains what can British Gas do for their customers.

20. MoneySupermarket: Epic Action Man

https://youtu.be/PmSZX2kvfYc

Moneysupermarket introduces its company with this minute-long classic Action Man commercial.

A delightful piece of stop-motion animation, catchy background music, and 80’s elaborate dance moves make the commercial hilarious and entertaining. It’s worth watching all the way through!

Its brilliant use of comedy makes it hard for the audience to forget the commercial anytime soon. That’s why well-played humor in an animated commercial helps the brand message embedded in the audience’s mind.

21. Shoppingboss

Shoppingboss is an online e-commerce platform in the US. It has over 250 merchant partners. These simple animation ads effortlessly explain what you can get from Shoppingboss.

It smoothly convinces you that shopping through Shoppingboss is easy and will enable you to get cashback and pay for a digital gift card. 

22. New York-Presbyterian: Unmasking a killer

NewYork-Presbyterian is a non-profit university hospital that launched an animated video campaign to explain cancer and immunotherapy issues. The commercial was aired during Super Bowl 50 to let the audience know what NYP can do to cure cancer. 

The impressive animation style, combined with an easy-listening voice-over, makes the information easy to digest. And the best part about this animated ad is that it shows the power of animation to precisely draw scenes that would be impossible to film with live videos.

Explain My Brand Messages

Animated Video Commercials Are Popular and Entertaining

You know, looking at those popular animated ad examples, what stands out to me is how they’re not just about showcasing the product. It’s all about storytelling.

Investing in animation in advertisements is a good choice. And the storytelling and characters or mascots in the commercials are illustrative and easily remembered. 

The characters in animated commercials are timeless. They’re also endearing and relatable, appealing to people of all ages. Some brands are lucky to have their iconic mascots that have stood the test of time.

Apart from those characters in the videos above, I’m sure you also know the M&M’s, The Pillsbury Doughboy, Julius Pringles, Kool-Aid Pitcher Man, and the list goes on. 

At Breadnbeyond, Mr. Clunkington and Puffy Fury are our company mascots. We incorporate them in our marketing materials to build top-in-mind awareness.

Most companies use an animated commercial not because it’s popular. But it’s hugely effective in running their successful advertising campaign.

The enhancement of a fine-tuned script and clear visual component of an animated commercial appeals more to the audience and provides them with an easy way to connect with a product.

Not to mention, the combination of compelling storytelling and the immediacy of visual media brings companies and potential customers closer.

Inspired? Make your commercial more engaging, captivating, and entertaining through an animated explainer video! Check out our packages and book your free consultation by clicking the Breadnbeyond banner ad below: