In this post, we’ll cover:
The 6 Best Video Ads
The best video ads are crafted like short films. Memorable video ads use a combination of humor, emotion, and celebrity talent to create something that will stick with viewers.
Although a video ad’s main purpose is to sell a product, the best ones demonstrate how a product offers a positive impact to consumers.
Shutterstock Studios has advertising specialists that can help your business create a memorable video ad campaign to raise awareness and establish brand recognition.
Next, we will dive into some of our favorite video advertising campaigns and explore what makes them work so well.
1. Coca-Cola: “New Guy”
The “New Guy” Coca-Cola ad premiered during the 2024 Super Bowl, a time when many of the biggest brands spend millions on their campaigns.
This video ad is modeled after a particular scene in the popular Hulu show The Bear. It focuses on a new partner coming home and meeting the family for the first time and all of the tensions that come with that.
The video ad was directed by Christopher Storer (one of the creators of The Bear) and also used the show’s editing team to authentically recreate the pacing of the show.
It’s also memorable because it’s the first time that all of Coca-Cola’s products appear in a single ad together. Although the products are prominently featured throughout the video ad, none of the characters reference them by name.
Ultimately, the video ad isn’t selling you the company’s products, but Coca-Cola’s ubiquitous presence in the moments that “matter most.”
2. WWF: “Up in Smoke”
This stop-motion animated ad features a reinterpreted version of Billie Eilish’s song “When the Party’s Over” and shows the devastating effects if humans continue to rely on fossil fuels as their primary energy source.
In the video, a young girl confronts various smoke filled environments—each one more devastating than the last. The video advertisement took a year to make and the stop motion animation was created entirely in-camera.
The beautiful animation and the reinterpreted song resolve with a powerful call to action: ”We must urgently shift to 100% clean renewable energy.”
3. Uber One/Uber Eats: “Best Friends”
This Uber One/Uber Eats video commercial relies on comedy and celebrity talent to get its message across. That message? Uber is for everyone and can bring people together.
This video ad explores the unlikely friendship between Robert De Niro and Asa Butterfield. What do these two have in common? They both go places and they both eat food—two things that Uber can help facilitate.
The three minute video starts with Asa Butterfield approaching De Niro as he sits in a director chair eating something delivered by Uber Eats.
Next, we see the unlikely duo traveling in the back of an Uber, shopping together, hanging at a park, playing ping pong, and ultimately checking out a beautiful view complete with fireworks.
How do they get from place to place? Uber, of course.
4. Budweiser: “Canned”
Budweiser first debuted the Budweiser frogs during the 1995 Super Bowl—a time when the internet was still in its infancy. But, it didn’t take long for these three frogs that only said the name of the beer to have their own viral moment.
When this video advertisement was released, it was called one of the most memorable alcohol campaigns of all time. But, it quickly became controversial because the frogs were a big hit with kids.
In 1999, the beer brand introduced a new character into the mix—a chameleon named Louie. In the video advertisement, Louie breaks the news to the famous frogs that they’ve been “canned.”
When the frogs hear the bad news, they break from their repetitive “Bud,” “weis,” “er,” surprising Louie who didn’t realize that the frogs could actually say anything else.
Spoiler: Of course they could, they were just reading from the script!
This clever video commercial does a few things. It acknowledges that Budweiser is getting rid of some of their beloved spokes-frogs (appeasing their critics, while still making a joke out of it). It also lets consumers know that Budweiser is available in cans.
5. DCMF Canada: “Dear 16 Year Old Me”
This video advertisement is shot documentary style and starts with a variety of people giving advice to 16 year old versions of themselves. Eighteen seconds into the video ad, it’s revealed that everyone we’ve heard from is also a survivor of melanoma.
As the video ad progresses, everyone shows the scars where their cancer was removed and shares parts of their story of dealing with this extremely preventable form of skin cancer. All it takes is one bad sunburn before you turn 18 to double your chance of developing melanoma.
The call-to-action is straight forward: Wear sunscreen, avoid tanning beds and spread awareness that melanoma is a young person’s disease.
The writing is good, the message is clear, and because the video ad uses real life survivors of melanoma instead of actors, it’s also relatable.
6. Metro Trains: “Dumb Ways to Die”
This Metro Trains in Melbourn video ad uses simple animations and a catchy, slightly absurd song to grab the viewer’s attention. Throughout the ad, we are introduced to a variety of characters who meet their end in extremely dumb ways.
These include setting fire to their hair, poking a grizzly bear, and taking their helmet off in space. The dumbest way? Behaving dangerously near high-speed trains.
They don’t have a perfect rhyme scheme—so they stand out in the little ditty—but they also drive home the message that you need to be cautious around trains.
This particular video ad took home five awards at the Cannes Lions Film Festival and, according to Metro Trains, reduced the number of accidents by 20%.
How to Make a Memorable Video Campaign
The previously mentioned video ad examples are some of the greatest because they are so memorable. Effective video ads can do this in a number of ways—celebrity talent, humor, beautiful animation, or a catchy song.
Shutterstock Studios has worked on a number of creative video ads and can help your brand create something that will stick with viewers.
Here are some things to keep in mind if you’re looking to create a memorable creative video ad campaign for your company.
Get Their Attention Right Away
People have short attention spans. If your video ad isn’t grabbing viewers within the first few seconds, they are going to move onto something else.
Grabbing attention immediately is even more important in the age of social media where a viewer’s ability to consume information all day long is right at their fingertips.
Revisit some of the examples of creative video ads above and notice how quickly the action in each of them begins.
Introduce Problem and Solution Within 10 Seconds
This is related to grabbing attention and is particularly important if you want to make the best short video ads.
If it’s confusing to viewers what the problem is and that there is in fact a solution, they will stop paying attention.
Keep in mind, this doesn’t have to be blatant. In fact, the best video campaigns are typically more subtle in introducing the solution.
In the Coca-Cola video ad, the problem or point-of-tension is that someone is coming to meet the family for the first time. The female lead says, “They’re going to love you,” to her partner in the second shot of the video ad.
The problem here is, of course, that something happens and they don’t love him. But, in this same shot, we see that he is holding a six-pack of Coca-Cola. The solution is introduced at the same time.
He brought Coca-Cola along. Obviously, now they will love him.
Keep the Actual Advertising Short
The best video ads all have one thing in common. They aren’t explicitly advertising their product—they are advertising something more ambiguous about the positive impact that their brand has on society, as a whole.
Effective video ads don’t necessarily tell consumers that they must purchase something to fix their problems, rather they show that said product is an integral part of a consumer’s continued existence.
Have a Clear CTA
The CTA is a call-to-action. And, even if the advertising isn’t explicit, the call-to-action should be. Effective video ads are memorable because a viewer knows exactly what is being advertised once the ad wraps up.
The CTA in a PSA like “Dear 16 Year Old Me” is particularly well stated—wear sunscreen, avoid tanning beds, and make sure you are checking your skin.
This ad even takes it a step further, urging viewers to share the campaign with a 16-year-old that they know and love.
Review Competitors’ Video Ads
The best way to create a compelling video ad for your brand or company is to check out what the competition is doing.
Although you never want to blatantly rip off another brand’s video ad, it can be useful to see what’s already out there and use it as an inspiration for making your own creative video ad campaign.
Reviewing competitors’ video ads is also a great way to figure out what you don’t want to do.
Make It Funny
Comedy is hard, but memorable video ads do a great job of integrating jokes within the advertisement. Making a funny video ad can be achieved through writing, editing, or hiring celebrity talent.
Just because something is serious, doesn’t mean its message can’t be delivered with a bit of humor.
Look at the “Dumb Ways to Die” video ad—the takeaway message for this video campaign is extremely serious, but because it’s delivered with animated characters and a cute jingle, it’s memorable and way less gruesome than the reality of being killed by a high-speed train.
Should I Use a Videographer for My Video Advertisements?
You may have a clever video ad, but if it doesn’t look good, you are going to lose viewers. Ultimately, that means your message won’t stick in their minds.
Using a professional videographer is one of the best ways to elevate the quality of your video ad. Professional videographers have specialized gear that will make your brand’s ad stand out.
It’s also worth noting that certain streaming platforms and broadcast services require resolutions and formats that you won’t be able to capture with your phone.
Working with a studio like Shutterstock Studios is a great way to ensure that you have a team of professionals working on your video ad campaign to help it get its message across.
Traditionally, video ads were only shared on live television. Big brands would spend millions for prime time ad spots during major sporting events like the Super Bowl.
While Super Bowl ads are still an important part of many brands’ marketing plan, there are tons of opportunities on smaller platforms too.
Video ads are found on social media sites, within apps, online, on streaming platforms, and even in physical locations like subway stops. Different platforms require different formats and resolutions.
It’s helpful to have an idea of where you want your video ad to appear before you start shooting. Keep in mind that it’s much easier to downsize something from high-resolution video footage so that it can appear on a smaller screen than it is to make a small file larger.
Working with professionals—like Shutterstock Studios—can be helpful in determining the technical specs to make sure your video ad looks great no matter where it’s shared.
License this cover image via Suzanne Tucker and Kurit afshen.
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