Lights, Camera, Action: 5 of Our Favorite Branded Video Campaigns

By now, you’ve figured out that video is all the rage in content marketing. Brands are using video now more than ever for more than just advertising spots – they’re using them to tell stories, to showcase the unique capabilities of their products and services and more. Through video, they’re able to define their brand better than ever before and build relationships with audiences through relatable, funny, and emotionally-driven content. According to HubSpot, enjoyment of video ads increase purchase intent by 97% and brand association by 139%. Now, do you understand why videos, especially branded videos, are important? Below are some of our favorite branded video campaigns and why we love them.

1. “Hero5 + Karma” and “Fireman Saves a Kitten” | GoPro

By now, anyone who spends an adequate amount of time on social media networking sites or on YouTube has heard of the GoPro brand. Their typical videos and advertisements showcase extreme sports, stunts, and many other amazing things you won’t likely witness first-hand. Most of their branding has been defined by adventurous and extreme – mostly by the user-generated content they use on their own channels. Like this one:

For this next out-of-the-box branded video, the GoPro brand branched out and away from adventure and extreme sports and showcased the brave heroism of everyday heroes, like the firefighter in this video. Using the unique style found in many of their branded videos, watch the GoPro brand go beyond their typically extreme and adventurous persona to promote this firefighter save a kitten.

2. “World’s Toughest Job” | Cardstore by American Greetings

Not only does this branded video by Cardstore by American Greetings exude creativity and mystery by creating fake job interviews to emphasize the work that goes into the world’s toughest job, they elicit emotion without bombarding the viewer with a sales pitch of their product until the very end. At the end, even the inclusion of their brand and product is so subtle that it really works… and makes you want to go out and buy a gift for your mother. Did you guess what the world’s toughest job was before it was revealed?

3. “Puppyhood” | Buzzfeed for Purina

This fun, entertaining and relatable video produced by Buzzfeed for the Purina brand truly speaks to the heart of animal lovers and animal parents out there. Once again, the product and brand keeps the advertisement of their product minimal and focuses on the relationship, adventures, and mishaps that occur to every new pet owner. Although it’s not meant to be a sappy, borderline-heart-wrenching video, it really hit the sweet spot for anyone who has an unconditional love for their pets.

4. “Ostrich” | Samsung

Samsung channeled creativity and imagining the impossible for their VR promotional spot that captures audiences’ minds and hearts with the Ostrich who proves that the only way to achieve the impossible is by refusing to accept that anything is. Unlike other mentioned branded videos, in the Samsung video, their product is front and center, but they don’t sales pitch the product – they focus on user experience. In the video, they not only illustrate the capabilities of their product, they show how their products and technology inspires other to achieve anything, eliciting happiness and inspiring others to do the same.

5. “This Is Me” | Hot Dog Marketing

Among other favorite branded video marketing content is, of course, our own. We’re proud of the video products we’ve created to showcase businesses and their owners enhance their brand in fun and unique ways. Creating videos for businesses is a new venture for Hot Dog Marketing, and it surely won’t be the last.

Check out more of our This Is Me videos!

So, what really drives people to connect with brands through video marketing techniques? Many of these branded videos are emotion-driven because people most often remember videos and content that makes them feel something. How does this help brands? Because brands often exist in the hearts and minds of its audience.

The second key to creating branded video content that resonates with an audience is by producing something that reaches out and into the hearts of its viewers. When people relate to something, they receive it well and are more likely to feel closer and connected to that brand, which is the foundation of the relationships between these brands and their audiences. If it’s next to impossible to make something that will make people cry, the next best thing is highlighting human experiences and making it personal to your audience. Want your own fantastic video? Let’s chat!