Animated videos are a fun and exciting way to bring any idea to life. And for most businesses, videos are some of the most effective tools for presenting a unique selling point.
Be it a product demo, marketing campaign, promotional video, or public announcement, great visual storytelling can help you reach a wide range of audiences.
After all, everybody loves flashy illustrations, colorful visuals, and zappy characters, and professional video designers take that to heart.
In this article, we’ll be looking at the best animated videos with out-of-the-box concepts, mesmerizing storylines, and most of all, impeccable motion graphics.
From captivating brand stories to comprehensive app explainers, these snappy videos will surely keep your eyes glued to the screen!
Table of Contents
- Narcos by Mondlicht Studios
- Pan Pablo Kanken by Motionful Studio
- Svenheim by Pocket Films
- CryptoWallet by Motionvillee
- Port of Aberdeen by Signal
- Lytics Conductor by New Evolution Video
- AWM by Shot Blast Media
- Tech Founder Academy by webdew
- Roche Online Learning Animation - Building a Case for Change by Bearded Fellows
- CU Innovation & Efficiency 2022 by University of Colorado
- IGORA ColorWorx by Prospekt Agency
- Television Media Management by Grow Animation Studios
- Ganit by Boch & Fernsh
- Chartbeat by Rocket Motion
- SunCoChem Project by Pix Videos Production
- Dathena Cyber Security by fewStones
- Circular Economy by The Little Wild Ones
- AppSec Phoenix by Value Productions
- SmartLube by VCM Interactive
1. Narcos by Mondlicht Studios
Standout Features:
- Realistic letter art
- Sharp close-up shots
- Provocative and intriguing music choice
Fans of the hit show “Narcos” went into a frenzy when the promo for its third and final season dropped; thanks to Mondlicht Studios’ insane animation skills.
The German production house couldn’t have made a better comeback than this 30-second, fully animated video that shifts the lens into the show’s title itself.
Even without showing the cast, the teaser-type promo manages to build tension and excitement with its clear-cut visuals. It features only the word “Narcos”, but here’s what made it extra special – the letters are highly stylized according to the show’s crime drama theme.
Each letter of the word is embellished with various elements related to the series: guns, bullets, knives, skulls… you get the gist! Shot in sharp and high-contrast close-ups, all the intricate details of every letter can be seen with the naked eye.
To top it all off, the soft and mellow Latin American instrumental was the perfect juxtaposition to the video’s dark and somber mood. The music, alone, is an effective foretelling of what’s to come this season.
2. Pan Pablo Kanken by Motionful Studio
Standout Features:
- Stop motion animation
- Minimalist set with text pop-ups
- Sketch-style visual effects
What’s inside a Kanken bag? This minimalist yet upbeat promo video designed by Motionful Studio unpacks everything you can fit in a standard Fjallraven Kanken backpack.
The agency took a more creative approach in producing this ad; they used stop-motion animation. Shot in multiple frames to show independent movement, it’s as if the bag has a life of its own!
The yellow bag is perched against a matching yellow background, which made the white text descriptions for each part of the sequence super easy to read. They also added sketch-style animated lines to highlight movement, serving as a nice visual treat.
After packing and unpacking the bag, they ended the video by showing the bag’s different colors and variations. Same shot framing, different colors – a great way to wow the audience up to the very end!
3. Svenheim by Pocket Films
Standout Features:
- Outlined graphic illustrations
- Coherent visual transitions
- Side-by-side animations
Svenheim makes high-quality furniture for flexible workspaces, and such a modern solution is perfectly illustrated in this short yet feature-packed motion graphics ensemble produced by Pocket Films.
In the video, we see a two-toned panel of light grey and green which acts as a moving canvas for the company’s offerings and product features.
Through 2D motion graphics of outlined icons and symbols, viewers can easily get into the process of customizing their furniture according to their functions and preferred configurations.
The beauty of using lined illustrations is that they are super scalable and flexible, which reflects Svenheim’s core functionality. Each outlined image transforms into another, which makes for a smooth transition and sequence flow.
The simplicity of the visuals also gave more room for creativity. For example, the designers displayed two animations on one screen: a product prototype and a demo. With the static background, everything looks clean and streamlined! Look at some of these best motion graphics in web design here.
4. CryptoWallet by Motionvillee
Standout Features:
- Fast-paced animations
- Mixed graphic illustration styles
- Glowing shapes and icons
Despite being a mainstream technology, cryptocurrency is still a relatively complex innovation for many people. Motionvillee, however, made the concept super simple by breaking down all the basics in this comprehensive explainer video for CryptoWallet.
Clocking in at a minute and a half, the video goes into detail about how the crypto platform works from top to bottom. Arranged in a snappy sequence, each part of the discussion is accompanied by visuals that ultimately make the topic easy to digest.
The designers used a vast array of graphic visual aids from outlined flat icons to 2D vector illustrations. Even with minimal text pop-ups, these images managed to explain every little detail clearly and concisely.
The spectrum of colors against the dark magenta background also sets the perfect contrast and visual balance. It reflects the company’s colors too, so there’s some branding strategy at play here.
The glowing effect infused into some of the visuals is also a great design touch that can’t be missed!
5. Port of Aberdeen by Signal
Standout Features:
- 2D on-site animation
- Accurate locational illustrations
- Moving miniature set
Aberdeen Harbour is now the Port of Aberdeen, and there’s no better way to re-introduce the multimodal establishment than this expertly crafted video animation by Signal.
With the goal of “constantly evolving to support new industries”, the new port has been digitally illustrated through a miniature set that aptly showcases its world-class infrastructure, strategic location, and expert supply chain.
At the beginning of the video, viewers get a bird’s eye view of the entire Port of Aberdeen. Through 2D animation, the designers were able to bring the port to life by simulating the location along with its processes.
Everything happens in harmony, but for closer inspection, each scene zooms in on a certain portion of the site. Then, it zooms out to reveal another. With this type of scene exposition, the audience can get a good view of the location in greater detail.
6. Lytics Conductor by New Evolution Video
Standout Features:
- Badge-style iconography
- On-screen video previews
- Visual integration of brand colors
Lytics is a B2B solution that helps marketers create personalized digital experiences and one-to-one marketing campaigns. It’s a platform designed for a specific niche, so this short yet info-packed explainer by New Evolution Video is the perfect introduction.
The video designers relied on badge-style icons to illustrate Lytics’ functions. The result? A comprehensible and visually satisfying depiction of how the company can help businesses have a competitive advantage.
As a data-driven solution, the vector illustrations of the company’s meticulous process, tools, and technology made the program highly interesting even to SaaS newcomers.
They also injected actual video previews of the company’s processes, which allowed the viewers to get a good view of the platform.
The video also stayed true to the company’s image by incorporating the brand colors into the background, icons, text descriptions, and other visual elements. Consistent branding, check!
7. AWM by Shot Blast Media
Standout Features:
- Zoom text and image transitions
- Simple 2D vector illustrations
- Multicolor and textured backgrounds
AWM is a Yorkshire-based company that leads the way in sustainable waste resource management through commercial recycling solutions.
The problem is, their recycling bins are getting contaminated with unrecyclable materials that are not properly disposed of.
They collaborated with Shot Blast Media to launch an explainer video that would educate the public about proper waste disposal.
The video features 2D animations of problem-causing waste materials and how to address them using the company’s labeled garbage bins properly. Nothing fancy here – the designers went with simple motion graphics to make the concept easy to understand.
What added an extra flair, though, are the color-changing backgrounds. They’re not just a visual gimmick; each color matches a certain message; green is clean, brown is waste and black is trouble.
The zoom transitions between the visuals and text descriptions also made for a smooth and fluid sequence flow.
8. Tech Founder Academy by webdew
Standout Features:
- Text and image integration
- 2D character animation
- Powerful statements and advertising slogans
In a world where opportunities for Black women tech entrepreneurs are limited, Tech Founder Academy finds ways to tip the scales.
With this one-minute explainer video by webdew, one thing’s clear: Black women-founded businesses can rise above low-profit and low-employment sectors to become high-growth, scalable tech companies.
The video presents a world where such an idea is the reality. This world is the Tech Founder Academy. Here, the designers characterized the organization’s stakeholders by creating avatars and animating them using 2D illustrations and transitions.
Text is also infused into the visuals for strong messaging. Powerful slogans like “in my world, women drive tech” along with the characters take up the whole space in most scenes.
Besides effectively sending the message across, they also help the viewer understand the organization’s identity and mission without running a background check!
9. Roche Online Learning Animation - Building a Case for Change by Bearded Fellows
Standout Features:
- Powerful visual storytelling
- Thought-provoking text pop-ups
- Neon geometric shapes
As one of the largest biotech companies in the world, Roche wanted to digitize its learning workshop to boost the company’s team performance.
For this project, Bearded Fellows created an empowering and deeply moving video that illustrates how the viewers or target audiences can help improve the customer journey as a whole.
The three-minute video starts with the common goal displayed upfront, which is to “build a case for change”. Paired with soft instrumental background music, the sequence progresses with several questions and ideas that spark curiosity and interest in the topic.
Moving along, these ideas are broken down into fuller detail by the speaker. The dialog is supplemented by simple geometric visuals that represent the characters, which are the company and the customers.
The neon aesthetic of the shapes against a dark blue background also perfectly captured the dramatic and sentimental mood of the video.
It had a perfect ending, too! The video went back to the intriguing and thought-provoking statements that allow the audience to reflect and take action.
10. CU Innovation & Efficiency 2022 by University of Colorado
Standout Features:
- Mondrian-inspired illustrations
- Animated geometric transitions
- Retro colors and shapes
The CU Innovation & Efficiency Awards is a yearly program hosted by the University of Colorado Office of University Controller that recognizes employee excellence. To spice things up, the academy tapped into its own potential, or rather production expertise, to create an exciting promotional video.
The 40-second promo is dressed in that classic retro fashion that features intricate motion graphics. Mondrian-esque visual ensembles take the lead here; colorful shapes, blocks and lines were used to illustrate movement and transition.
These geometric shapes also became foundations for the event’s symbols such as a clock, light bulb, group of employees, and so on. They come in different colors too, so it’s very much in line with the retro aesthetic!
There are minimal text descriptions to keep the audience hooked – save for the event name, details, and some registration instructions which are all necessary content. They are displayed in black-and-white text blocks to separate them from the colorful visuals in the background.
11. IGORA ColorWorx by Prospekt Agency
Standout Features:
- Realistic fluid simulations
- Dark-themed background
- Simple yet effective product promotion
For the global release of IGORA ColorWorx, Propspekt Agency produced a 3D video promo of the brand’s newest inter-mixable hair dyes. Like the products’ rich and vibrant colors, the visuals are stunningly captivating!
In the 30-second ad, we see each shade of IGORA properly showcased through computer-generated simulations.
The editors outdid themselves in making these fluid animations super realistic. Viewers get to see the vibrance of every variant in full color, plus the exact consistency of the hair dyes. It’s like looking at a well-crafted beverage ad!
The spectrum of colors against a pitch-black background also created the perfect contrast between bright and dark themes. The producers also didn’t forget to tease the packaging design of the new range by molding the fluid simulations into their actual containers.
All in all, this video is a masterclass in 3D modeling and product animation!
12. Television Media Management by Grow Animation Studios
Standout Features:
- Animated 2D illustrations
- Characterized visual storytelling
- Conversation bubbles and pop-ups
Commercial Satellite Sales (CSS) offers a convenient media management solution to community managers: the Community Channel.
Knowing that it’s perceived to be quite a techy tool, Grow Animation Studios created an easy-to-digest video explainer that walks the audience through the entire interface. Within a minute and 20 seconds, they managed to explain everything so concisely!
The designers featured one main character for the entire sequence, which instantly puts the viewer in the community manager’s shoes. It progresses into multiple scenes showing how the Community Channel works while highlighting its benefits at the same time.
They used 2D illustrations to make the graphic images instantly recognizable and visually appealing. They also added text bubbles and pop-up descriptions, which made the discussion much more relatable.
Plus, they took the brand’s yellow-and-blue color combo and integrated it into all the visual elements. A huge check to consistency and cohesiveness!
13. Ganit by Boch & Fernsh
Standout Features:
- Moving outlined illustrations
- Rich data visualization
- Audio-visual coordination
If you want an attention-grabbing video that hooks the audience from the get-go, you can take notes from this best animated video explainer for Ganit by Boch & Fernsh.
The video opens with the speaker saying, “shh, listen – this is your data”. With this opener, the viewer can’t help but stop and stare at the scene unfolding. This straightforward approach rarely works, but the video designers found a way to make it work!
The succeeding scenes show how Ganit provides smart data solutions through discovery-driven AI and new data insights from devices. Such complex technology can only be simplified by clear illustrations, which the video designers delivered.
They used line progressions, data visualization tools, and figures to make the difficult concepts easy to understand. One illustration also transforms into another, which is a creative way to display scene transition and movement.
Music also plays a key role here. The relaxing classic instrumental matches the clean visuals. And more importantly, it keeps the viewer’s mind clear and undistracted!
14. Chartbeat by Rocket Motion
Standout Features:
- Viewer’s perspective of the app
- Animated interface elements
- Zoom and conveyor transitions
App walkthroughs for a specific niche can be hard to pull off, but Rocket Motion made it look so easy with this explainer video for Chartbeat.
The app in question is a content analysis platform that helps editorial teams boost viewership and increase engagement. Using 2D animations, the video designers illustrated how the software can help users and how to actually use the system.
They gave a first-person perspective of the app, which makes the viewing experience much more immersive and engaging. From real-life situations to the app’s actual tools, audiences get a digital depiction of the Chartbeat process and the benefits that come with it.
Users can also instantly familiarize themselves with the platform with this video alone. The designers brought the whole dashboard to life by animating the charts, labels, buttons, and other interface elements.
The use of zoom and conveyor transitions also kept the sequence flow smooth. With these, the editors were able to stitch the scenes and tell the story clearly in just 60 seconds.
15. SunCoChem Project by Pix Videos Production
Standout Features:
- Rich iconography
- Recurring animated visuals
- Chart-style data visualization
The SunCoChem Project is geared towards mitigating negative environmental impacts by providing carbon-neutral energy production solutions.
To pitch this project to European chemical companies, they paired up with Pix Videos Production for an animated video explainer that left an impactful and industry-changing effect on its viewers.
The video starts with a collective 2D illustration of the entire initiative: from the project development and its processes all the way up to its subsequent effects on the world we live in. Then, this abstract image is broken down into details through simple icon animations aided by the speaker’s verbal discussion.
To ensure that the audience follows the sequence from start to finish, the designers used recurring visuals: the main character, a rotating image of the Earth, and the laboratory tools.
Towards the end, these elements are interlinked together through chart-style data visualizations to show their correlation and how they all come together to complete the SunCoChem Project.
16. Dathena Cyber Security by fewStones
Standout Features:
- 3D miniature set
- Neon holographic visuals
- Program interface animation
This 3D product demo by fewStones intricately showcases how Dathena’s cyber security platform can protect users from rampant data breaches.
What the video designers did was create a three-dimensional office environment inhabited by databases and computers. Dathena, which takes the form of the actual Greek Goddess of war, is situated at the center as the core protector.
With this moving miniature set, the creators were able to display a world where every data, organization, and individual is safe.
For a system that uses deep learning, natural language processing, and other AI tools, it’s only right to incorporate visuals that are just as future-forward. Clearly, the editors followed through; they added holographic illustrations of the program to keep up with its advanced technology.
To give audiences a preview of the actual interface, they included animated depictions of the software’s features, dashboards, and tools.
17. Circular Economy by The Little Wild Ones
Standout Features:
- Narration
- Calming music choice
- Explainer video at its best
You must've heard that old one: "One man's trash is another's fortune." Circular Economy most definitely aims to turn that phrase true, with the added bonus of an expansive sustainability mission.
Their short explainer film about the benefits of a, well, the circular economy, created by The Little Wild Ones, for the financial sector, opts for simplistic, albeit charming animation to quite literally - draw the movement's benefits.
Not every day do you get the opportunity to work on such a worthwhile project resulting in tangible, life-changing, and ultimately, positive impacts on so many people's lives, so the LWO agency poured their creative soul into it.
​Beyond simple fact-listing and pleasant animation, the video sports clever messaging, authoritative narration and lulling music not only to draw viewers in but make them reconsider their personal choices. Talk about impacting...
18. AppSec Phoenix by Value Productions
Standout Features:
- Animated dashboard
- Glow in the dark aesthetic
- Data-driven visuals
Cloud-based programs are the ones most vulnerable to security threats. Not all companies recognize such a risk, so this animated video for AppSec Phoenix by Value Productions is the perfect wake-up call.
Clocking in at roughly two minutes, the video shows how platforms like AppSec Phoenix can help scan and solve all cybersecurity issues like data breaches through full automation.
The video perfectly illustrated this solution by showing a complete walkthrough of the SaaS interface. Viewers get to learn how the entire process works by taking a tour of the actual dashboard.
They included animated visuals of the app’s AI tools, features, analytics, and so on. They also showed the intricate process of securing data by presenting the company’s machine-learning models.
Thanks to the video’s stunning motion graphics, all the elements blend well. The colorful icons, fluid transitions, and neon holographic aesthetic made the platform visually appealing while successfully establishing AppSec Phoenix’s credibility.
19. SmartLube by VCM Interactive
Standout Features:
- Smooth transitions
- Uniform, on-brand color palette
- Pleasant narration
Since UE Systems needed a smart way to communicate what their Smartlube product does, how it works, and how it benefits prospective customers, the company opted for a quick and engaging, animated explainer video.
Now, how did VCM Interactive tackle the "Remote Bearing Monitoring and Precision Lubrication from anywhere, anytime"?
By pairing soothing narration with buttery-smooth, almost 60fps animation, the agency transformed a fairly technical topic into engaging storytelling. It's as if the product manual came to life!
