With people watching over 500 million hours of video content on YouTube alone, no one can question the efficiency of marketing videos. Although sketches, live streams, vlogs, and tutorials are the ones that are on the hit list, creative marketing videos can also make it to the list. Besides, studies have shown that video content marketing is one of the best strategies available.
In the rapidly evolving world of digital marketing, engaging video content has become a game-changer for those looking to make money online. To stay ahead of the competition, incorporating captivating videos into your marketing strategy is crucial. From attention-grabbing product demonstrations to compelling storytelling, these top 20 marketing videos cover a diverse range of techniques and platforms. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or just starting out, leveraging these videos will undoubtedly enhance your online presence and help you maximize your earning potential in today’s dynamic virtual landscape.
Currently, approximately 80 percent of the global companies use video marketing, as it has shown to increase sales and brand awareness much easily and faster than other kinds of marketing campaigns. If you are a marketer looking to increase brand awareness and turn up the conversion rates, you need to start focusing on video content marketing strategy, if you haven’t already.
Video Marketing
Sure, creating effective and high-quality marketing videos might seem scary. But, we are here to tell you the budget is not everything. If you are low on financial resources, there are still plenty of ways you can creatively engage in video content ideas.
Below, we have listed some of the top most marketing videos around. They range from video ads on social media, commercials on TV, to quality content from YouTube. We hope to ignite your creativity while giving you some necessary tips on how to manage and create marketing videos for businesses. Let’s dive into it!
Note that we will be presenting marketing videos in chronological order so that you understand how this genre has changed over the years. We will also tell you what the current trends of video marketing 2020 are.
1. Super Bowl Ad By Apple, 1984
Yes, Apple has been alive and thriving ever since the 80s. This is much before iPhones overtook the world of computer technology with a storm. This video ad played as a commercial on the TV. Note that this happened before marketing videos online became popular on smartphones. One of the most iconic Apple ads, this commercial basically announced Apple’s latest computer launch. The scenery resembles the iconic look of 1984 by George Orwell. It shows Big Brother’s gigantic face talking to a line of audiences. This scenery stands in sharp contrast to the cheerful and colorful women hammering a telescreen as a sign of protest. This ad stands out amongst all marketing videos because of the thought put into it. It shows Apple as an empowering tool in the new age of information.
Why not schedule a brainstorming session and work on your own video content ideas?
2. Happiness Machine By Coca Cola, 2010
Ten years before 2020, video content marketing strategies adopted by companies had already grown quite sophisticated. Marketers understood that authenticity meant more than just high-production marketing videos.
It shows a Coca Cola vending machine that has been installed inside a college. The twist is that it doesn’t just shoot out chilled cans of Coca Colas, it dispenses various surprises to tired students. These range from pizzas to flowers.
The creative genius behind this video content marketing is that it gives us a unique view shot from hidden cameras. So, although it does not have high production looks, it gives the brand authenticity by showcasing candid reactions by its customers. This is why this marketing video works and makes it one of the best marketing videos.
3. PSA, Dumb Ways To Die, 2012
This video does not technically pass for a marketing video. Even then, it’s clear success has shown us how out of the box video content ideas resonate with audiences across the board.
This video content is an Australian PSA that was posted on YouTube. Since it was posted, it has garnered over 170 million views and has become a prime example of video marketing. The winning features of this PSA are the colorful animation, vivid and cheerful song, and the gory animated death sequences.
4. “Our Blades Are F***ing Great” By Dollar Shave Club, 2012
This is one of the best company marketing videos around. It raises itself above other commercials that look like they are overselling themselves. It has an absurdist attitude with dead-pan humor. As the man in the commercial cruises through a factory in a red wagon and dances along with another man who is wearing a bear costume, this commercial succeeds in engaging the audience until the very end. At the end of the commercial, the man directs the audiences to check out DollarShaveClub.com. Such business marketing videos masterfully blends marketing videos and digital commerce.
5. Real Beauty Sketches By Dove, 2013
Another great example of marketing videos for business expansion. This creative video content makes the body positivity its main subject rather than just promoting the brand.
Clearly, this message resonated with its target audience as it boasts the most-viewed title for marketing videos online.
6. Marketing Videos: A Boy And His Atom By IBM, 2013
Similar to Dove’s video content marketing strategy, this commercial took a unique approach to its brand awareness campaign. It featured a tiny boy playing around with an atom-sized ball, which turned into a yo-yo, and then a trampoline.
The unique approach separates it from the thousands of video content one sees on TV, making this marketing video memorable.
7. What Most Schools Don’t Teach By Code.org, 2013
This video content marketing strategy leans on educating young kids through inspiring talking heads, that include Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, etc.
Its fun approach indicates that coding is easy and fun and that it ultimately leads to a cool career. This commercial symbolizes the importance of alternative jobs in this increasingly growing digital world of ours.
8. Fireman Saves Kitten By GoPro, 2013
This commercial was shot using a GoPro, which has become a trend in video content marketing for technical products. This commercial goes out of its way to show a different kind of adventure, that of essential service personnel.
9. Like A Girl By Always, 2014
There are certain types of videos for social media that work great. One of the aspects of these marketing videos is incorporating a social message. This is exactly what this commercial does. And that’s why it’s included in our 20 best marketing videos.
10. World’s Toughest Job By American Greetings, 2014
One thing to remember which planning out your video content marketing strategy is who your target audiences are. What is your brand image? What kind of message do you want to convey with your commercial?
These are the core questions that great marketing videos deal with. This commercial by American Greetings does just that. It shows an emotional interview with several job seekers. The job is described as extremely hard without any pay. It is later revealed that the title of the job is “Mom.”
This video content perfectly fits the brand image of American Greetings and strengthens its engagement with its core audience.
11. Marketing Videos By Squatty Potty, 2015
If you are a company that sells stools to help one position oneself correct to defecate, how would you make the product appealing? Well, Squatty Potty gave us the perfect video content idea by creating a mix of cute and humorous marketing videos for business. This commercial features a unicorn, doodles of a colon, and a medieval prince.
It sells the product using humor and makes the video appealing by showcasing cute and fun aspects of the product. It also discusses important health matters without making the commercial boring. This is what we mean when we talk about creative video marketing.
12. Friends Furever By Google Android, 2015
Another marketing strategy that’s gained a major footing in video marketing 2020 is making not-so-apparent sarcastic comments about your competitors. This healthy rivalry is enjoyed by audiences, which benefits both you and your competitors.
This is exactly what Google android has done is this commercial. They targeted Apple with its subtle tagline. This marketing video was shared most in 2015. It features cute unlikely animal friends and curiously does not mention the product. It’s actually quite a smart move by Google android since it captured its audiences’ imagination without seeming like it was starting too hard.
13. 25,915 Days By Reebok, 2016
Another innovative video content marketing that touched a chord with its target audiences is Reebok’s 2016 marketing video. It promotes health by touching the sentimental value of life. Reebok used a video content marketing strategy that goes beyond just health. By showing the life of a woman, this commercial signals the achievements a person is capable of when you live an active life.
14. Marketing Videos By Allegro, 2016
One theme we have been touching again and again for effective video content ideas is, to be honest, authentic, and personal. Allegro is a company that’s involved in e-commerce. To show how e-commerce affects human relationships, it features an old man receiving packages from this company. It touches upon the concepts of love, separation, and reunion.
15. Bullying Jr. By Burger King, 2017
Remember the Coca Cola commercial we mentioned earlier? Well, this commercial uses similar tactics. It used hidden cameras to shoot this commercial, which gives a sense of authenticity to the brand. This is another excellent example of the types of videos for social media as it involves the social message of anti-bullying.
It’s important to note that when brands decide to engage in important conversations, they cannot be insensitive about it. If you take up a cause just to sell your product, the campaign will backfire. But, creating a dialogue tastefully and sensitively is, in fact, highly appreciated by audiences.
You need to check this commercial out yourself to see how Burger King dealt with this sensitive subject and become one of the best and most effective marketing videos around.
16. The Best A Man Can Be By Gillette, 2019
This commercial boasts one of the fastest trending commercials on Facebook. What do marketing videos for Facebook need? Let’s look at this commercial to understand that.
Gillette touched upon the subject of toxic masculinity and how it affects others. In the process, it also took up the #MeToo movement. Taking bold choices like this can strengthen your brand image and help you with your brand awareness.
17. Democracy Dies In Darkness By Washington Post, 2019
The video marketing 2020 trend of discussing real-life issues can be seen in this 2019 video. This commercial focused on a journalist’s job and the many dangers related to it. It stood as an homage to free speech and seemed like journalism was reclaiming it’s identity back. Unlike traditional commercials that try to sell the product, Washington Post tried to connect with its audiences by appealing to human emotions. This is why it boasts a top spot in the list of most effective marketing videos.
18. Dream Crazier By Nike, 2019
One pro tip for marketing videos for business, as mentioned before, is to be authentic. In this commercial, Nike talks about gender bias in the world of sports. By doing this, Nike not only promotes social movements, but it also maintains its famous tagline of #justdoit.
Serena Williams narrates the commercial, which shows sportswomen excelling and thriving in their field. This is another way that brands can capitalise on movements without seeming predatory. It gives a voice to the demographic that it is trying to represent.
19. Vegan Sausage Roll By Gregg’s, 2019
This short commercial by a restaurant chain boasts over five million views in the first 10 days of its release. It is a perfect example of how marketing videos can parody other brands to their advantage. This cheeky commercial parodies the traditional Apple commercials by using exaggerated music and close-ups. The commercial also reveals the latest “features” of the vegan sausage roll. This is why we say that video marketing needs creative and new ideas for every campaign.
20. Year In Search By Google, 2010 – Present
This search engine has excelled in publishing one of the most effective marketing videos. It highlights every “year in search” in each of these commercials.
Google has become an inseparable part of human life. These commercials don’t even feel like advertisements anymore. They are so integral of each progressing year of our life that they have attained a higher status than a marketing strategy that aims at selling the product.
Most marketing videos from Google take up a central theme. However, many just show us the major global event, deaths of celebrities, climatic disasters, crucial milestones, hopeful stories, and much more. The latest marketing video they released for 2019 feature heroes. They ranged from Iron man to videos and photos of athletes, activists, soldiers, celebrities; and normal people from all walks of life.
These videos clearly hold sentimental value for their audiences. From the time of its release, the 2019 Google commercial Viraat over 142 million YouTube views as of 2020 Jan. This is what we meant when we said that an effective video content marketing strategy is to make the video personal. Google perfectly creates a sense of a global community, which further strengthens its position as a global search engine.
How To Run Successful Marketing Videos For Your Brand?
Take inspiration from our top 20 list. If you take a step back, what is the one common thing you see in this list?
If we have to point it out, we will say that it’s the transcendental quality of marketing videos that goes beyond selling a product. Instead of trying too hard, you should think about your customer’s needs. Spur up your creative juices and think about what it is that needs to be represented. Who are your target audiences? What do they care about? Don’t just blatantly try to force a product upon your customers. This will always put them off. There needs to be a sense of personal connection. It needs to feel like there are humans and humanity behind a brand.
Here are a few pointers that you must remember to run successful marketing videos.
1. The text, audio, and visuals of your video content must work together. It should combine emotions, entertainment, and information.
2. Where is your video content going to be released? You need to keep in mind that various platforms host different categories of consumers. You need to plan your video marketing strategies accordingly.
3. High-quality production value is not as important as the message behind a commercial. Marketing videos need to be able to create a connection with their target audiences. A video shot with a hand-held camera can be just as effective as a high-production-value commercial.
4. For your video content marketing strategy, remember that brand awareness comes more easily if a customer shares your video. It basically means that your customers are willing to vouch for your brand. It gives your brand legitimacy and raises your brand over your competitors.
So, these are our top 20 marketing videos of all time. Let us know if any of these commercials have inspired you to create your own video marketing content as well!
