3 Options for Filming a Commercial
June 8, 2022
If you’ve ever watched the SuperBowl, then you likely understand the value of a quality commercial (seriously though, raise your hand if you only watch the SuperBowl for the commercials). If your commercial knowledge ends there, that’s what we’re here for!
Here’s the scoop: you want your audience glued to the screen as they learn about your product or service. A business commercial puts you directly in front of your customer. If you’re not visible on digital platforms, you’re missing out and our team of video professionals can help.
Let’s break down the different types of commercials and the three main options for the filming of a commercial.
Product-Focused Commercial
Product-focused commercials are differentiated from general brand commercials by a focus on a particular product rather than the entire brand. If you are looking to push a particular product in your product line, this type of commercial is a very specific way to achieve your goal.
Beyond the focus on the product, a highly effective product video will aim to share a key problem, followed by a solution, an experience, and the overall vision of your brand.
Successful product-focused commercials will encapsulate the following elements:
- Dialogue and narration
- Length is key–long enough to explain the product benefits but short enough to maintain the audience’s attention
- Professional, but creative and fun
- Relatable and empathetic
There are few subcategories within product-focused commercials to choose from depending on the product you’re looking to highlight and the best fit for your brand:
Comparison Commercial
Comparison commercials compare the product in focus against its competitors, highlighting its superior features and benefits. This Kia commercial is a very simple and basic example of comparison commercials at work. Think of all the cars on the market.
Car brands are really similar. A comparison commercial offers an opportunity to directly cross-reference each of the highlighted product features against the features of its competitors.
Proof of Performance Commercial
A proof of performance commercial is one that emphasizes how a product is currently solving a specific problem for customers. This Apple iPhone 6s commercial is a great example of a proof of performance commercial. They aren’t launching a new product, just highlighting the new enhancements of an existing product by capturing proof of performance.
In this Google commercial, the narrator takes the audience through an evolution of Google’s success and benefit to consumers.
Get on the Bandwagon Commercial
The get on the bandwagon commercial style is a common one (you’ll see what we mean when you watch some of our fun examples). These types of commercials use the strategy of “everyone is doing it”, why don’t you join in?
The vibe is typically fun and light and encourages the audience to just try it because they’ll probably like it if they do.
This Old Spice commercial is a fun example of this type of commercial, as well as this DollarShaveClub.com commercial (make sure to put in your headphones for this one as they’re not shy with the profanity).
Narrative Style Commercial
A narrative style commercial, also called a presenter style video, is when the story is told by a person guiding you through the message or story of the brand until the conclusion of the commercial.
Narrative style commercials are very popular and function as a powerful storytelling tool for your brand.
When viewing the production of a commercial as a mini-narrative, it’s helpful to follow a general creation process:
- Concept
- Storyboarding
- Scripting
- Filming
- Editing
Commercials are specifically designed to sell as they function to target everyday life and common issues to directly impact their audience. With a specific goal in mind for a commercial, commercials often require hiring outside talent to achieve the intended brand vibe.
By working with a professional video marketing company, you’ll have access to the ideas and resources to knock your commercial out of the park.
Speaking of which, this Apple watch commercial is an example of a powerful narrative style commercial.
You’re ready to both buy an Apple watch and up your fitness goals after one minute and twenty-five seconds. Wild, right? That’s the power of narrative style commercials.
Social Style Commercials
In today’s world of media advertising, companies are investing significant time and money into filming commercials specifically suited for social media platforms. There are a few types of commercials that typically perform well on social media. Let’s dig into each.
Explainer Videos
Explainer videos are a form of video marketing that do not speak about the product itself, but rather explain or demonstrate about the brand instead. The Durex #DoNotDisturb social marketing campaign is an interesting example of explainer videos at work. The video speaks about the campaign, rather than a product, in a creative combination of brand positioning and social advertising.
Product Showcase Videos
Product showcase videos feature your product in relatable scenarios that help viewers picture themselves using your product. If you’re able to help your audience imagine themselves using your product through product showcase videos, they are more likely to buy that product. This enticing GoPro commercial is a great example of demonstrating a product’s functionality in a real-life scenario for your audience. Pretty epic, right?
First Person Narrative/Selfie Style
As defined above, a narrative style video utilizes a narrator to tell a brand story or highlight a specific product or campaign. With this style of video marketing, brands use the power of the individual to emote a deeper connection with their audience.
In this advertisement for Helium, a single narrator shares the power of the internet with the audience, taking the audience along throughout her day in a casual and relaxed way. This is an example of how a first person narrative style video can tell a brand or product story.
The widely circulated The United States of Women video is another example of how multiple narrators can tell a campaign story through narration.
Testimonial Videos
Testimonials of all forms (paid or real) have long been a trusted tool of marketers worldwide. Commercial testimonial videos are no different (in fact, they can be the most powerful form of testimonials). By highlighting the proof of satisfied customers, you build strong trust in your brand. This testimonial video by Slack is a prime example of testimonial videos at work.
Professional Commercial Production Company
As a brand, you need to continue to find ways to highlight and differentiate your vibe and product offerings from your competitors. That’s no easy task, we get it. Video commercial content is a great way to create authentic, unique content that helps your brand stand out in the crowd.
Get in touch with our team of video professionals to discover the countless ways video can enhance your marketing efforts.