Video content is a great way to engage your audience and convey promotional messages in an interesting and eye-catching way across both B2C and B2B sectors. For a promotional video to be successful, it often needs to be inspirational in order to engage your target audience.

Today, 60% of businesses use video as a tool, with 36% using it on a weekly basis and 94% planning to continue to do so. Furthermore, just as technology has made it easier for businesses to create videos, it is now much easier for people to view them through social media and other platforms used on a daily basis – making it one of the most popular ways content is consumed.

To help and inspire you to start your video promotion journey, here are eight of the most inspiring promotional videos that will blow your mind.

Google – Year in Search 2020

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One of the most innovative companies, Google, has effectively portrayed the key messages of the brand since they first began using video promotions. For many of us, 2020 was a challenging and different year, which Google used as inspiration for their ‘Year in Search 2020’ video. The video highlighted the events of the year, from start to finish using the most searched “whys” of the year. This made the video relatable to the audience and also interesting to see what had been searched.

Within this, a message to reconnect with those we love and the world around us was pushed, as the year drew to a close and the people in our life became more important than ever. This video very cleverly highlights how tapping into current affairs and a relevant topic can engage a wider audience and successful promote a brand.

Nike Football Presents – The Switch a Spark Brilliance Production

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Nike football has always aimed to inspire youth, not just in football but across many sports. In their ‘The Switch’ promotion, Nike tell an inspiring story with brand ambassador Cristiano Ronaldo and many others including Raheem Sterling. Using ambassadors and sponsored teams such as Portugal, Nike captivate their young audience with a fast-paced short film, which varies in tempo to keep their audience engaged.

The video was also effective with its product placement, showing players in a wide range of boots, using different types of equipment and wearing different items of clothing. Showing the players in the products is powerful influencer marketing, as it would encourage and inspire young people to purchase the products that their idols and inspirations are wearing. The video promotes Nike as a brand, as well as inspiring young people to play sport.

Sainsbury’s Christmas Ad – 1914

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Christmas is always a popular time of year when brands release promotional videos to tap into the festive period and showcase their Christmas offering. Sainsbury’s advert in 2014 was one that tugged on the nations heartstrings and perfectly captured the message the brand was trying to portray, ‘Christmas is for sharing’.

The ad depicted a game of football in 1914 between British and German soldiers during the first world war and highlighted how the two sides at war came together in peace to celebrate Christmas. This video tapped into all of our emotions at Christmas, sending a message to share and spend time with loved ones. This effectively tapped into the brands campaign slogan throughout the festive period, whilst also making us all feel a bit emotional.

GoPro – Hero 6  

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GoPro changed the camera industry with their line of compact waterproof cameras perfect for those who love extreme sports and adventure. The Hero 6 promotional video nails its target audience, showing the many capabilities of the camera and how it can be used by showing footage captured on the device from skiing to swimming with sharks.

The fast pace of the videos shows how users can capture any moment at any time sending a message to their audience that ‘the moment to capture is now’. This video successfully promotes the product and also encourages people to get out and utilise it – very cleverly tapping into their audiences interests.

Dollar Shave Club – Our Blades Are F***ing Great 

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The Dollar Shave Club provide their customers with a subscription-based service delivering razors to their door. Unlike other video promotions, Dollar Beard Club don’t use a wide range of cleverly shot footage or scripted content – instead they project a confident sales pitch through an explainer video which is simple and effective in describing their product and hooking their target audience of young men.

Accompanying the projected confidence, some comedic factors playout through the video to keep viewers interested. Dollar Shave Club also put a face to the brand as their CEO Michael Dubin acts throughout alongside employees, making the video as authentic as possible. This taps into their aim to really showcase what the brand offers and also keeps things simple and to the point to engage their target audience.

Slack – So Yeah, We Tried Slack…

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Slack provides businesses with a new way to communicate through their app, which is an alternative to calls and emails. Their comedy show-like promotional video is similar to The Dollar Shave Club and captures all the uses and benefits of their service through an interview format.

The style is similar to the hit show The Office – which is comedic for the audience, but also makes it feel quite authentic, honest and natural. This unique style stands out and engages their audience as it is something different – which also perfectly depicts the brand.

Starbucks – A Year of Good

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For their recent promotional video, Starbucks took the opportunity to showcase their employees and customers showing acts of kindness, positivity and charitable acts – immediately creating a feel-good video. The style of video they created is organic content, essentially people who didn’t know they were being filmed, in order to create as much authentic as possible.

The video showcases the brand as one that gives back and cares for its employees and the local communities – prompting customers to return and engage with the brand. Alongside the testimonies and uplifting stories throughout, Starbucks also include figures to show the benefits of their business beyond coffee, promoting a wider positive message for the brand.

Always – #LikeAGirl

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Always #LikeAGirl promotional video features real interviews and thoughts from women of a variety of ages to highlight how women are often misrepresented and how the term ‘like a girl’ is often used in a negative manner. The shared experiences showcase that women from all walks of life have experienced something similar – strengthening the campaign message.

The video both promotes how the brand is inspiring women to feel empowered and confident in their ability and looks to reclaim the use of the phrase ‘like a girl’ for a positive and powerful meaning.

At Prohibition, we know that video marketing is only going to continue to grow that’s why we  work with a range of brands across all sectors to deliver quality videos that help portray everything from a product launch, brand key messages and pieces to camera. Get in contact today to find out how we could help you! Drop us a line at hello@prohibitionpr.co.uk

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About Abbey Gray

Account Manager at Prohibition PR. First class journalism graduate, passionate writer and novice baker! Based in Leeds.