Orlov the meerkat, Ronald McDonald, Tony the Tiger.
They’re all animated characters that are instantly recognisable and induce memories of the adverts they have starred in and thoughts about the brands they represent. The practise of creating an animated character to represent a product, brand or service is known as character-driven animation. It is a form of marketing that can be just as effective as a live spokesperson when trying to convey a message to your audience.
Why include a character in your video?
Businesses and brands ultimately include animated characters in their videos as it gives them a form of identity. If implemented properly, people will begin to associate a business or brand with the animated character they have created. The highly recognisable and popular ‘Compare the Market’ meerkat, Orlov, is the perfect example of this. Orlov is synonymous with the ‘Compare the Market’ brand and is arguably now better known!
Stand out
Including a character animation in a video will also help it stand out from other videos and ensure the viewer finds it memorable. Animated characters can be given traits and characteristics that target a particular audience and support the overall message you are trying to get across. For example, Tony the Tiger, synonymous with Kellogg’s ‘Frosties’ for nearly 70 years, has always been portrayed as a friendly, lovable character, interested in helping children strive to reach their full potential. This has helped Frosties adverts remain ever-popular with generations of children.
Build a storyline
The beauty of using an animated character in video advertisements is that an impressive story-line can be woven around them across many videos. Character animation will also enhance the effect and impression of a story. An audience can quickly become emotionally attached to an animated character (look at Edgar the dragon in the latest John Lewis Christmas advert). This could lead to conversations and shares on social networking sites, invoking a sense of community around your brand.
Character Driven Animation at The Animation Guys
At The Animation Guys we recognise the great responsibility that comes with creating an animated character for either entertainment or branding purposes. What a character looks like and how they come across can determine whether your video is a success or not. Between them our incredible team of 2D and 3D designers have years of experience creating memorable animated characters for brand videos. Using their expertise and the latest animation techniques they will work with you to create an animated character that reflects the ethos of your brand and message you are trying to convey. That perfect idea of what you want your character to look like… they can bring it to life on the screen!
Over the years we have worked with a number of top brands to deliver amazing character driven animations. We’ve produced an educational animation for the NHS, an animation for the charity ‘Network for Animals’ and a ‘Monty the Dog’ explainer video, just to name a few. Below you can see some other examples of other character animation videos we have produced.
Network For Animals Animation
Working closely with Network For Animals we created a character-led story that highlights the importance of kindness and seeks to change perceptions about the treatment of animals.
‘Monty The Dog’ Explainer Video
Meet Monty the Dog! MSH@Home had this adorable canine brand mascot that we had the pleasure of turning into an animation around an important cause.
Jane Explain
Our very own mascot Jane Explain! Jane is an animated character that we use throughout our process that helps people understand why they should consider an animation video to help explain difficult to grasp concepts!
Using characters in your marketing efforts has a positive impact. If character animation is something that interests you, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Check out our Character Animation Portfolio
A few words from our clients...
We gave The Animation Guys an idea, they not only delivered they excelled at the task at hand! With their extraordinary creative ideas and regular updates throughout the process, their professionalism and fun nature made it such a pleasure to work with them.Talloulah Matthew, THE DRUM
Creative, flexible, down to earth - they had lots of patience through a fast timeline with endless refinements for a premier event to be displayed near Westminster. Grateful for the positive experience with the Animation Guys. Great team, excellent output - looking forward to collaborating again in the future! Cheers!Emilian Cartis, PepsiCo
It was a delight working with the team at The Animation Guys. Whilst working within deadlines and budgets, they produced a range of effective creative concepts and quickly responded to our change requests. They were complete partners from launch through the production of both the audio and visual segments to the final product. Ethan Sinick, Research Director, Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council, Eurasia & Africa
The Animation Guys were fabulous to work with on a recent animated project with a quick turnaround. They were tasked with creating a short video for a very important high level presentation, and had to work closely with senior experts and management in the acoustics industry. Their disciplined as well as highly creative approach meant they were able to work quickly, efficiently and remain constantly focused towards achieving the best possible outcome for the task at hand. Well done, great job!Alex Shaida , IOA Marketing
Great working with The Animation Guys on an exciting augmented reality project for us. We had very tight timescales, which they very expertly met, and explained all the stages clearly. A really fun, creative team delivering a slick, professional end product. Really pleased with the results and already planning our next animation project!Carrie Goldsworthy, Dr Foster
Working with The Animation Guys was a positive experience from start to finish. They are professional, talented and easy to work. We couldn't be happier with the result!Hilary King, Marketing Manager, AKIXI
The Animation Guys are really great to work. I have worked with them on a number of different projects. They provide creative and effective animations. They are also friendly and fun but more importantly they never see problems only solutions.Alex Gulland, Contented Brands