Animation captures the imagination, makes ideas tangible, and compels audiences to take action. The right animation style complements your brand and your message. But how do you pick the animation technique that’s right for your brand?
As animators and production designers, we’ve helped hundreds of brands choose animation styles that captivate their audiences and fit their brand. We’re experts in 2d animation, 3d animation, whiteboard, motion graphics, mixed media animation and have even dabbled in stop motion.
Each one brings its own flavor to your marketing videos. Here’s how to pick the best option for your brand, with examples so you can really see the differences.
Watch: 3 Minute Guide to Animation Styles
2D Animation
2D animation uses a series of flat images sequenced together to create the illusion of movement. Back in the early days of cartoons, each frame was drawn by hand. That’s why hand-drawn animation styles are now known as traditional animation.
Modern 2D animation comes in two styles: keyframe and vector. With keyframe animation, the animator sets up scenes that define the story, then a computer generates the movement between them. Vector animation uses computer software to manipulate vectors (basically mathematical formulas) that create crisp animation.
Modern 2D Animation Styles
William Gadea, Creative Director and Founder of IdeaRocket, sorts modern 2D animation styles into three main categories: Pop, editorial, and iconic.
- Pop style – has a comic book feel. The animation is fun and colorful. Characters have exaggerated proportions. Think Bugs Bunny.
- Editorial style – figures and scenes are more realistic, a little more buttoned up. Think New Yorker Magazine.
- Iconic style – simplified geometric shapes, few facial features, modern and contemporary.
When to Choose 2D Animation
Because many people grew up watching cartoons, they’re often eager to engage with a story in 2D animation. This technique creates an emotional resonance that strikes a chord with many viewers. Most brands find that it’s well worth the investment.
Choose from these categories based on how they fit with your brand voice and style. For example, the branding of a financial services company may align better with the iconic or editorial style rather than the pop style.If you’re partnering with a professional video production company like IdeaRocket, they can help you choose the style that best matches your brand.
See more examples of 2D animation in action.
3D Animation Styles
3D animation relies on computer models. Each character and their environment is modeled in a three-dimensional mathematical space. While talented artists can also bring a cartoony nature to 3D, what separates it from 2D is that it can create images that are richly shaded and textured. It’s ideal for showing off your product without the complications of a live-action video shoot.
In 3D animation you can also create simulations of physics, so that an action that might take a long time to draw accurately in 2D animation, like a bowling ball hitting some pins for a strike, could be simulated easily in the software. 3D animated medical illustrations can look truly spectacular. They allow you to zoom in on details that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to show.
When to Choose 3D Animation
While 3D animation can look great, it can also be time-intensive and expensive. Plus, characters that are too realistic tend to look strange, leaving viewers feeling unsettled. When dealing with humans in 3D, it’s usually best to stylize them enough to escape the uncanny valley problem.
3D animation is the animation style of choice for brands that want a modern or futuristic look. See more examples of 3D animation.
2.5D Animation or Pseudo 3D
Between 2D and 3D is an animation style that has been gaining popularity among marketers. It gives the illusion of depth by using flat planes to create what appears to be three-dimensional space.
2.5D delivers lower costs and shorter production times than 3D while still giving a modern tech-forward feel.
When to choose Pseudo 3D
Brands choose 2.5D when they want impressive effects in a simpler package. With pseudo 3D they can reduce costs while still representing their brand as modern. If you’re looking for a video-game like effect, it might be the right choice for you.
Keep in mind that this style of animation tends to work best when in videos without a lot of character design.
Whiteboard Animation
Whiteboard animation mimics the experience of watching a talented artist draw on a whiteboard. It usually starts with a blank screen or simple drawing and then details are added as the animation unfolds.
This animation style evokes the experience of learning, which makes it perfect for explaining a concept or illustrating a logical thought process. Whiteboard videos are very popular in the healthcare industry because they help to simplify complex medical concepts. They can also explain how investments grow over time or how solar panels work.
Of course, whiteboard animations can tell stories, too. For its 8th and final season, the Showtime series Weeds asked IdeaRocket to create a whiteboard animation that showed the story of the series up to that point.
When to Choose Whiteboard Animation
Whiteboard animation is a less expensive option than 2D or 3D. It delivers a unique illustrative style that would be very expensive to animate in frame-by-frame.
High-tech brands might want to steer away from whiteboard animation because it tends to be seen as lower tech, and classic rather than contemporary. Also, strong branding is hard to achieve with whiteboard.
On the other hand, the simple, stripped-down feel makes it perfect for workflows or illustrating complex concepts. Because the action unfolds line-by-line, whiteboard tends to be less character driven than either 2D or 3D animation styles. It’s ideal for brands that need to educate or inform their customers.
See more examples of whiteboard animation.
Stop Motion Animation
Instead of drawings, stop-motion uses photographs of physical objects. The object is manipulated slightly from frame to frame. When all of the images are played together, the object appears to move.
Clay figures are most commonly used to create stop motion, but puppets, household objects, or brand items could all be featured as well. This style is most effective when companies find ways to integrate the product into the animation.
When to Choose Stop Motion
Brands rarely use stop motion because it’s labor-intensive, which means it’s more expensive than other animation styles. It’s the only animation technique where production can’t be sped up using a computer. Although the distinctive look and style of stop-motion is charming and intriguing, it’s not appropriate for many brands.
If you can integrate your product into the animation, or if you’re looking for a special viral moment, stop motion might be the animation style for you. Just be prepared to pay a premium for this labor-intensive animation style.
Motion Graphics
Motion graphics animation is exactly what it sounds like: graphics that move. It relies on text and shapes rather than characters to convey its message. Many classic movie title sequences used motion graphics to great effect, including the works of pioneer motion graphic designer Saul Bass.
Text is often more important than characters in motion graphics. Many motion graphics animations don’t feature characters at all. Instead, the text tells the story while moving graphics hold attention and illustrate ideas.
When to Choose Motion Graphics
Motion graphics animation tends to involve less up-front design work. With no characters and a simplified story-line, motion graphics animation is often a less expensive option.
It’s perfect for a brand that wants to convey a clear and simple message, or wants to avoid some of the complications of being associated with a particular character.
See more examples of motion graphics.
Hybrid Animation Styles
In some cases, brands might choose to mix multiple styles of animation. For example, you might include a 2D character in a whiteboard video to make the animation more relatable. Or you could use stop motion animation of your product against a 2D animated background. You could also combine any animation style with live action.
Combining multiple styles of animation adds a layer of complexity to the project. But, when well executed, it can also create amazing effects. Before choosing a hybrid animation style, make sure you have a clear and compelling reason to do so.
Animated Character Styles
Just as your animation style sends messages about your brand, so do your character styles. A professional animator can help you make smart decisions about character design, but it’s good to be prepared before you talk to one.
We’ve broken down some of the choices here to help you start thinking about your character design.
Iconic vs. detailed
- Iconic characters are simplified, with few lines and minimal detail work.
- Detailed characters are more realistic. They might have detailed facial features, or clothes with buttons and zippers.
Iconic characters tend to be more modern looking. They simplify the viewing experience and obscure the race and sometimes even gender of the character. Many B2B brands prefer the iconic style because it makes their video feel more inclusive.
Stylized vs Realistic
- Realistic characters are drawn with realistic proportions. The size of their limbs matches the size of their body and their joints bend realistically.
- Stylized characters are out of proportion. You may see longer legs, longer necks, or heads much too small for bodies. The motion of these characters might also be distorted.
Proportional characters are best for more serious brands and those that require a realistic look. Distorted characters are more playful, like a classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon in which a character could be flattened or blown up like a balloon.
Line vs Color
How much your character stands out in their animated world depends on design choices related to line and color. Those choices impact the overall style of your video and send certain signals about your brand to the viewer.
As the graphic above illustrates:
- Line-only characters are created with just lines. You can add shading and details with more lines, but the characters aren’t colored in. This creates a classic or editorial look.
- Line-and-color characters are fully colored in but still have a strong self-line, the outline that defines the edges of a character. This gives you a cartoony look.
- Color-only characters don’t have outlines, they’re built of solid shapes. This style tends to feel very contemporary and is really popular with brands at the moment.
How to Choose Between Animation Styles
There’s no single best animation style. Instead, different animation styles might be right for your brand at different times. As you weigh the pros and cons of each one for your next marketing video, consider these four factors.
1. The Animation Style Should Match Your Brand
Does the style align with your other brand elements? Consider your colors, logo, brand personality and messaging. If you already have a website, product packaging, or other collateral, which style of animation most closely matches the style of those elements?
2. It Should Fit Your Budget and Timeline
3D animation is generally more expensive than 2D or whiteboard. Pseudo 3D splits the difference and motion graphics tend to be most affordable. Stop motion can be more expensive than all of those. Choose a style of animation that fits your budget. Keep in mind that some animation styles are more time-intensive than others.
3. It Should Help Achieve Your Brand Goals
Ultimately, you should choose your animation style based on your brand goals. If you’re educating your customers you might use a whiteboard video. Motion graphics might help you convey a single clear idea. Telling a story to build customer engagement? Go for 2D or 3D with well-developed characters.
4. It Should Speak To Your Audience
The style you choose should be well-suited to your target audience. An 18-year-old consumer of workout gear probably has a different aesthetic than a 50-year-old B2B buyer of SaaS. Each audience brings its own sense of humor and associations. Choose a style and characters your audience will feel comfortable with.If you’re still not sure which is the best animation style for your brand, we’ve got you. The animation experts at IdeaRocket can help you choose a style that matches your brand, fits your budget, and helps achieve your goals. We make explainer videos, healthcare videos, HR videos, animated commercials, and more. Contact us today to start planning your video.
