by Jace Vernon | Oct 28, 2021 | Creative Marketing, Marketing, Video Marketing
In 2010 an Old Spice marketing campaign achieved viral success. Even more impressive was the fact that they did this as part of a rebranding that completely changed their target audience. There were many factors that contributed to their success, but there are 3 key things that this campaign can teach us about marketing. Things that keep us talking about these ads to this day.
#1 Make It Short, Sweet, and Snappy
The commercial that debuted the ‘man your man could smell like’ campaign featured witty dialogue and cheesy, rapid-fire transitions that caught and kept audiences’ attention from the start. And let’s face it, opening with a shirtless man didn’t hurt either. What Old Spice knew, and capitalized on, was that viewers have a short attention span.
Aim For 90 Seconds
In today’s digital world, we are exposed to so much content that we have to pick and choose what we pay attention to. Longer videos just take up too much of our time. That is why there is a sweet spot for video advertising, and that sweet spot lies somewhere around 90 seconds. After 60 seconds viewers start to drop off, and after two minutes less than 57% of viewers are still watching. Anything less than a minute risks not connecting with your audience or expressing a compelling story.
The Old Spice commercial was only 32 seconds long, but that was because it was made for TV. I am willing to bet that viewers would have kept watching for another 28 seconds at least.
You Have 10 Seconds…
Of course, there is a second factor in whether we tune into the video at all: capturing attention right away. If a video doesn’t hook us, and hook us fast, we are going to click away. On average, a video needs to grab our attention in the first 10 seconds in order to keep it. A fact that Old Spice played on repeatedly.
Keep It Engaging The Whole Time
Not only were the first few seconds engaging, and the commercial short overall, but the constantly changing set and props were creating new interest points that kept us from becoming bored. New things were even being added in the last 4 seconds! When paired with witty dialogue a winning combination was born.
#2 Create A Fantasy
In most marketing campaigns it is important to tell a story or create some kind of fantasy that will entice people to engage with your brand. The Old Spice rebranding campaign was no different.
Know Your Buyer
The story that Old Spice wanted to tell for this particular campaign meant that they had to change their target audience, which was a two-fold process. First, Old Spice wanted to lower the age of their demographic from 55+ to 18-35. Next, they used a crucial piece of research to flip their marketing strategy on edge. Knowing that women make approximately 70% of all the purchases of male toiletries, Old Spice decided to market to them instead.
Satisfy A Desire
Armed with that strategy Old Spice built a fantasy that would skyrocket their sales. They started off by creating a comparison between real life and the fantasy that Old Spice products could help women achieve. Then viewers were dazzled with a bit of romance and the repeated offer: “Smell like a man, man.” The idea was simple; Old Spice products could make your man better, or maybe help you attract a woman if you’re a man. The only way to achieve this would be to use Old Spice products.
#3 Don’t Let Your Video Stand Alone
It is easy to think that a well-made video or advertisement can stand alone, but the team at Old Spice knew that that isn’t exactly true. After their commercial aired they saw how effective it was and decided to continue to build a relationship with their customers. Their plan was to saturate the market and get everyone talking about their brand. Interacting with people in this way turned them from customers into fans.
Blitzkrieg Marketing
From the beginning, Old Spice had a plan to reach their audience on a new turf: the social media platforms that were gaining traction with the technology age. They advertised on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TV all at once. They wanted to be everywhere, and get people talking. This caused an immediate debate that paved the way for their encore.
Interactive Follow-Up Campaigns
When all the buzz around the initial campaign reached its peak, it was time for a second wave to break. In a spark of genius the Old Spice marketing team dreamed up and produced a two-day interactive series of videos where the “Old Spice Guy” answered fan questions and interacted with celebrities. Relating to their audience in that way was a huge victory for the Old Spice brand.
Ydraw Can Do The Same Thing
Are you looking to create a video as part of a marketing campaign? We want to help you. Ydraw specializes in a range of animation styles that can help you achieve the same charming effect as Old Spice for your audience. Our team creates short, engaging videos that keep the mind active by continuously triggering the sense of sight. With a variety of animation styles, we can tell any story in an artistic way, and we are constantly looking for new technology to help us enchant audiences with beautiful animations.
But don’t just take my word for it. Our happy clients can tell you how we have helped them.
by Ydraw | Oct 10, 2018 | Creative Marketing, Marketing, Simple marketing, Social Media Marketing, Video Marketing, video online marketing, Video Strategy Guide, viral video, Ydraw
We’re coming up on the end of the year, folks! It’s time to look back on your company’s marketing expenditures, evaluate your results and begin planning for the year to come.
But wait, not so fast!
Though it’s always important to look ahead don’t forget to follow through with 2018’s marketing campaigns and finish the year out with a video-marketing bang!
Most companies slow their marketing efforts as the year-end approaches. By consciously doing the opposite of this common trend, you can gain a competitive edge to break away from the pack by keeping your marketing push strong right up until the 2019 ball drops.
Top 3 reasons to for beefed-up fourth quarter marketing:
- Spending Deadlines:It ain’t over, till it’s over.
As the year comes to a close, some departments may locate excess budget floating around. With the “use it or lose it” policy found in most organizations, department managers are looking for opportunities to spend these additional dollars.
Don’t let your department get passed up. Be vocal and visible with your video campaign ideas just in case these other departments are looking for ways to spend their dollars.
Stay on top of your marketing efforts. This includes value-based bullet points that highlight achievable results in the current year and extending into the next year. Being organized and keeping your campaigns rolling forward can help justify last minute marketing purchases.
- 2019’s Budget:Spend More Now= Get More Later.
Now is the time when many companies start kicking off their budgeting efforts and mapping out spend for next year.
During this time, department heads are looking for ways to get the biggest bang for their budgeting buck.
This also makes now a good time to use the current year’s budget to get a head start on next year’s campaigns… think ahead by producing next year’s content NOW!
- Marketing Momentum:Stay Visible To Your Audience.
Don’t let preparations for a busy first quarter make you invisible to your customers during the Holidays.
This is the most wonderful time of the year, where they are programmed to spend some serious $$$. Keep your products and services in view with some fresh videos.
Ongoing communications is key to creating leads and keeping your target prospective customers engaged.
Video and Marketing Are A Match Made In Heaven
If you want your message to find it’s way in front of a set of eyeballs and a pair of ears, the proof of video’s prowess is in the statistical pudding:
- 75 Million people in the U.S. watch online videos everyday.
- Merely mentioning the word ‘video’ in an email subject line, the click-through rate increased by 13%.
- Nearly 50% of all video is watched on a mobile device.
- By 2019, internet video traffic will account for 80% of all consumer Internet traffic
- Videos up to 2 minutes long get the most engagement.
Create Videos Now
These forgotten fourth quarter months can be the prime time to wrap up 2018 with a video that will create a buzz leading into the new year while also increasing your spend that may lead to more funding for the future!
Creating new content can ensure ongoing communication with your audience while building and maintaining brand recognition. This constant buzz breathes life into your value proposition, year round.
2018 Budget: Use It Or Lose It… Create With Ydraw And Market Strong All Year Long
by Ydraw | Sep 26, 2018 | Creative Marketing, How to pick a video style, video, Video Marketing, Video Strategy Guide, video style
Let’s talk about style…
The style of your video sends a subconscious message to your viewers and lets them know that your company is professional, modern, playful, organized, credible, genuine or any other positive brand qualifier.
If you haven’t already noticed, here at Ydraw we produce many different video styles. Some clients come to us knowing what type of video style they want and others not knowing their options let alone the differences between them.
Rather than shoving you into a box you don’t fit in, we are here to help guide you in the right direction and determine what video style best fits your unique brand, message, audience and budget.
Here is just a quick glimpse of a few of our video styles:
WHITEBOARD/BLACKBOARD/CARDBOARD:
Purpose: These videos are hand drawn with marker on the paper of your choice. The purpose is to create simple, relatable and easy to understand stories/concepts to explain your product or service. By lining up powerful narration and simple artwork we hit both sides of the brain to keep your audience interested and wanting to know more. These videos are our favorite for teaching.
Budget: Range from $ – $$
Features:
- Traditional artwork
- See the artists hand draw while narration is happening
- Small digital effects added in to bring on artwork or pose change a character’s expression etc.
- Hand drawn
- Funny and relatable
YSWIPE:
Purpose: This video style uses Pattern Interruption to change the viewers thoughts or perception and redirect their attention to what you want to show them. We use the artists hand to slide/snap/wipe/point artwork on/off screen to keep the video upbeat and lower the viewers defenses.
Budget: Range from $-$$$
Features:
- Traditional or digital artwork.
- Upbeat and fast moving
- Uses Pattern Interruption
- Artists hand slides/snaps/wipes/points artwork on screen.
YPAINT:
Purpose: Ypaint videos use full watercolor or pencil sketches and have a more realistic art style. Instead of seeing the artists hand, we digitally reveal the images as if they are being digitally painted or dropped on screen like a water droplet. These videos use slow movements and soft pastel colors to evoke emotion in the viewer. If you want your video to be inspirational, motivational and classy, this may just be the style for you.
Budget: $$
Features:
- Inspirational/Motivational/Classy
- Slower pace
- Soft Pastel Colors
- No hand involved
- Realistic artwork
MOTION GRAPHICS:
Purpose: This video style uses simple digital artwork and kinetic typography to explain complex topics in a literal or abstract manner. Motion Graphic videos are fast moving and can allow a boring topic to be upbeat and easy to understand without telling a story or condensing information. Most of the time they are used to explain a complex product or show a result.
Budget: $$-$$$
Features:
- Pattern Interruption
- Lots of movement
- Simple digital artwork
- Exact brand colors
- More sophisticated
- Fast moving
- Can be literal or abstract
- Moveable characters and objects
ANIMATION OVERLAY:
Purpose: This style overlays digital artwork on top of live video to make them more interactive and fun. Although we love using real people to evoke real emotion, sometimes it can get boring. If you want to show that your company is trustworthy by using live video as well as relatable and unique by using digital artwork, this style is for you!
Budget: $$-$$$$$ (Depending on price of live video). We are happy to do the live for you, or you can send us the live video and we can animate on top!
Features:
- Can be endorsed by celebrity in live video
- Trustworthy
- Sophisticated
- Interactive
- Allows viewers to go back and find a specific spot to rewatch.
- Combine real people and digital artwork
2D ANIMATION:
Purpose: This video style uses engaging narration and compelling characters and backgrounds to tell a story. Characters can range from simple stick figures to more complex and detailed characters. 2D animation allows the characters to move and talk more than you will see in a motion graphic video. Think cartoons like Tom and Jerry or Phineas and Ferb.
Budget: $$$-$$$$$
Features:
- Characters that talk and move more realistically
- Unique artwork that range from simple to complex
- Interactive and fun
3D ANIMATION:
Purpose: These videos use beautiful and complex three-dimensional characters and backgrounds to tell your story without using real people and places. The bigger the budget, the more complex artwork and movement. Think Toy Story or Tangled. The downfall to 3D Animation is that you are competing with companies like Pixar and Disney who have enormous budgets and endless amounts of time.
Budget: $$$$-$$$$$
Features:
- More bells and whistles than other video styles
- More sophisticated and complex
- Lots of movement
- Time consuming
- Characters can talk and move
- Digitally drawn artwork
So now that you know the basics, what video style is right for you?
What may have worked for one company may not work for yours. Depending on your purpose, audience, brand and budget there is a perfect style for your company and we are here to help you find it.
by Ydraw | Sep 18, 2018 | Creative Marketing, how to make a whiteboard animation, Simple marketing, Story Telling, Video Content, Video Marketing, Video Strategy Guide, Whiteboard animation, Whiteboard Video, Writing a Script, Ydraw
Here at Ydraw, we work with amazing people every day, from all over the world, to create awesome videos.
Our completely custom videos are perfect for companies, because we can create EXACTLY what they need. From the scripting, to the choice of art style, to your voiceover selection, to our custom music composer, everything is tailored to our customer’s needs.
Since each video is entirely unique, it requires both parties to be equally invested and provide timely feedback. COLLABORATION IS KEY! This can be both a blessing and a curse.
One of the biggest challenges we run into when creating videos is understanding each parties’ roles in the project. We rely on the client to provide the information needed for us to understand their product or service, and in return, ask our clients to trust us when it comes to creating the best content for them.
Sometimes clients will focus in on one minor detail that has little or no impact on the overall messaging of the video, and can eventually lead to an experience or end product that isn’t so spectacular.
For instance, have you ever looked at a word so many times that you convince yourself it’s spelled wrong? The more your stare at it, the weirder it looks… even though it was right from the beginning. This can happen when creating content.
When creating videos, we notice this problem in the artwork phase. For example, a client will get so hung up on the color of “Mary’s shirt”, and before you know it, they’ve convinced themselves that their ENTIRE video is a failure, because absolutely NO ONE is going to understand or even watch the video, if her shirt is red, and NOT blue…
Sounds dramatic… but we see examples like this happen with our clients often.
We completely understand that these projects, these videos, are as important as your first born child! You have a lot of pressure to produce an amazing product, but it’s imperative to remember to step back and focus on the overall message of your video.
So if the color of Mary’s shirt isn’t the most important part to creating a successful video… then what is?
The message!
First, you want to establish your message. Keep it clear and concise! Second, ensure that your content helps to portray that message.
Don’t know where to start? The good news is that Ydraw can do it all for you!
(and don’t worry.. if you want Mary’s shirt to be blue, we’ll make sure it’s the prettiest blue you’ve ever seen.)
by Ydraw | Aug 27, 2018 | Creative Marketing, Emotional Connection, Explainer Video, how to make a whiteboard animation, Marketing, Memory, Simple marketing, Story Telling, video, Video Content, Video Marketing, video online marketing, Video Strategy Guide, Whiteboard animation, Whiteboard Video, Writing a Script, Ydraw
“Hello, my name is Mr. Important the CEO of Important Products… but the true important person is you!”
Uh wrong… Can you believe this guy?
He has officially lost us within the first line.
Code #282: If you want your audience to believe your product is important… focus on them and their needs, not on yourself.
This code is very important when creating successful content.
Don’t be Mr. Important.
by Ydraw | Aug 16, 2018 | Creative Marketing, Explainer Video, Marketing, Social Media Marketing, video, Video Content, video hosting, Video Marketing, video online marketing
Has this ever happened to you?
You’ve produced new video content, created a buzz, promoted the living crud out of it and shared it on social media but even optimizing the title and description still didn’t get you the views that you were hoping for.
What went wrong?
One of the biggest challenges facing anyone in marketing is figuring out how to break through the noise to reach your customers.
While great video content is crucial, perhaps there’s something simple you may have missed:
Subtitles.
Captioning your videos can have a HUGE effect on how successful they are. This is true for movies, TV shows, social media videos, training content, and any other kind of video you might record or share.
Why are subtitles so important?
1) Not everyone watching your video can hear it.
2) Subtitles improve comprehension
3) Some people actually prefer watching videos with subtitles even if they don’t have to. (My teenage daughter is like this; I have to turn off the captions on Netflix every time after she watches something. Every. Dang. Time.)
4) Viewers are more engaged. 
As more people are producing high-quality video content, social networks like Facebook have made it easier to post and share videos on their platforms.
But do you know what’s the most annoying thing about scrolling through your Facebook or Instagram feed? When the air of silence is violently stabbed by the blaring audio from the video you just scrolled over! This is why social platforms have made ‘mute’ the default volume setting for videos that auto-play. As a result, many users are likely to watch your video without actually turning on the audio.
Captioning videos can help guarantee your viewers get the message, even if they don’t actually listen to what you have to say.
Beyond making your videos more accessible, captions keep your content competitive within the social media landscape and can even boost your SEO!
Everything you’d ever want to know about subtitles and eye tracking software can be found here.
http://refractory.unimelb.edu.au/2015/02/07/kruger-szarkowska-krejtz/
Did I read that entire article?… um… no (totally skimmed it) but what I CAN affirm is that if I’m awake in bed next to a sleepy spouse, eating lunch in a crowded restaurant, riding the bus, quietly not paying attention in church or a number of other moments where I’d choose silence; a video with subtitles will capture and keep my attention when a non-captioned video would just get lost in the upward scroll of oblivion.
Test it out for yourself.
Take a marketing video you’ve already produce and slap some captions on it. (If you don’t have caption-slapping abilities… Ydraw can do that for ya in a jiffy!)
Then launch that video into social media cyberspace and see what happens when your watchers become readers.
Written by: Lesa Thomas
