The human brain processes visuals much faster than text, which means animated videos are a powerful tool for engaging audiences. We outline the essential elements of successful business animations and provide standout examples to inspire your video marketing and communication strategies.
Worldwide, video marketing and communications are gaining momentum, with businesses increasingly relying on animation to convey their messages. Currently, 60.8% of marketers use animation in their social media campaigns, and 37% employ animated explainer videos to simplify complex ideas into visual stories.
The channel is popular for a reason: Videos engage and educate audiences more effectively than text and static images. Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to just 10% when reading text. Animated videos, in particular, leverage this advantage by combining movement, color and narrative to make information memorable and engaging.
We know creating compelling animated corporate videos can be hard work, which is why we’ve compiled this guide featuring 15 of the best business animation examples from real-world brands. We cover what makes each example successful and how you can apply these lessons to your corporate animation videos—hopefully saving you time.
Ready to zoom in? Let’s go.
What counts as ‘corporate animation’ today?
The term “corporate animation” refers to animated videos that help businesses to communicate effectively. Corporate video animation is commonly used for marketing, training, internal communications, presentation and public relations purposes.
Animated business videos come in many different shapes and sizes, including product videos, internal training animations, software walkthroughs, pitches, testimonials, mission videos and data visualization materials.
Animated videos can be produced in 2D or 3D and may incorporate kinetic typography, where words and text move, as well as animated characters.
Note the difference between animation and motion graphics:
- Animation refers to the broad art of creating moving images, including characters, objects and environments.
- Motion graphics is a subset of animation that focuses on moving graphic design elements, such as text, shapes and icons.
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What makes a corporate animation effective?
Whether you’re creating a corporate explainer video for investors or video ads to run on social media, animation can help to effectively engage your audience.
Approximately 35.9% of marketers report an increase in certain key performance indicators (KPIs) when using animated videos, while 29% experience a significant positive business impact. Additionally, 35.1% of marketers believe animation helps them to effectively communicate abstract concepts.
Social media videos receive 1,200% more shares than text or image posts, while a well-made whiteboard animation can deliver a 68% better ROI compared to Google ads.
Clearly, animated videos hold significant value for organizations and their target audiences.
Creating the best business animations possible begins with a solid process and effective workflow.
Aim to:
- Set clear objectives: Ensure the animation serves a specific purpose, whether it’s to educate, sell, onboard, motivate or pitch. Your objective should influence every creative decision, from scriptwriting to visual style.
- Script for clarity, visual rhythm and brand tone: The message should be clear, maintain audience engagement, flow visually and clearly reflect your brand identity and tone of voice.
- Use high-quality design: Animated videos with vibrant visuals and bold, original designs stand out. Additionally, it’s essential to ensure smooth transitions between scenes and frames, as well as high-quality audio. These factors contribute to the creation of high-quality, credible videos.
- Match the length to the purpose: Use short, impactful messages for social media ads, concise, informative videos to explain how your products or services work, and longer-length videos for training purposes or documentary-style storytelling (e.g., showcasing your enterprise’s corporate social responsibility initiatives).
- Be platform-aware: The format of your animated videos should be tailored to the specific platforms you're targeting. For example, very short videos work well on social media, whereas longer-form videos can live comfortably on your website.
- Ensure brand consistency: The visuals, language and pacing of your animation videos should reinforce your brand identity.
- Prioritize user needs over company jargon: Unless you’re creating videos for internal stakeholders, stick to plain, jargon-free language most people will understand.
15 corporate animation examples that nailed it
Next, let’s take a look at standout corporate animation examples that perfectly showcase creativity, clarity and compelling brand storytelling.
1. Superside x Johnson Controls
(Source: Johnson Controls, Instagram)
Industry: Technology
Johnson Controls, a global building technology and software company, approached Superside to help enhance its corporate animation strategy. Their in-house team had a creative concept in mind but required a more efficient, dynamic approach to realize their vision than traditional production pipelines could provide.
We at Superside have extensive experience creating high-quality animated videos for enterprises and can handle large-scale projects, so we gladly accepted the challenge.
Style: Johnson Controls initially planned a photorealistic video, but Superside recognized the chance to enhance it with engaging AI-driven animation.
The “Don’t Surprise Bob” ad went viral. The explainer video featured expressive puppetry-style motion, compelling voiceover and dynamic set design, all created using Superside’s AI-assisted workflows.
Superside completed the project 85% faster than traditional animation video methods, saving Johnson Controls $47,000.
Why it works: The video was produced quickly and affordably without sacrificing quality. It was polished, engaging and precisely what the brand needed to stand out in a competitive B2B market.
Its blend of humor, compelling storyline and dynamic motion graphics simplified a complex product offering and boosted audience engagement.
Our enterprise creative services and support solutions helped Johnson Controls to produce several high-volume animations swiftly. As corporate video animation aficionados, we served as the tech company’s creative partner, and that’s how top brands do it. If you know, you know.
2. Airbnb
(Source: Airbnb, Vimeo)
Industry: Tourism
Airbnb created an animated video to promote its premium cycling experiences worldwide.
Style: The animation uses a superpan animation technique, showcasing various locations in bold colors and captivating visuals. The animated video was designed with vibrant, GIF-style graphics to highlight the wide range of cycling experiences Airbnb offers.
Why it works: The smooth transitions and dynamic motion graphics effectively convey movement and excitement, perfectly aligning with the themes of cycling and travel.
Its data-driven storytelling, timed to coincide with the Tour de France, makes this successful video one of the best business animations on our list.
3. Communyco
(Source: Communyco, YouTube)
Industry: Social media
Communyco is a specialized social media platform designed to support content creators who teach their skills—such as cooking, painting or gardening—by providing tools to build and monetize their communities.
Style: The 2D animated explainer video made our list because it features a visually engaging style packed with personality.
Why it works: The video features a diverse range of animated characters that effectively showcase the platform, making it both inclusive and creative.
4. Spotify
(Source: Spotify, Vimeo)
Industry: Music streaming
Most adults are familiar with the feeling of being tired after a long day’s work. Spotify captures this feeling beautifully in this character animation example, illustrating the sense of ease Spotify’s streaming can create.
Style: Spotify conveys a simple story of relaxation through a captivating 30-second video that features a blend of 2D animation and striking graphics, all without any voice-over.
Why it works: The animation employs a cohesive color palette and minimalist design, aligning with Spotify’s well-established brand aesthetic.
This visual consistency not only reinforces brand recognition but also expertly appeals to the target audience.
5. McDonald’s
Source: McDonald’s, YouTube
Industry: Fast food
A renowned brand like McDonald’s has the flexibility to experiment with various marketing strategies and styles.
Style: The fast-food giant produced an anime-inspired animation video to promote its recruitment efforts.
Why it works: This video takes a fresh, creative approach to recruitment campaigns, using an anime style that taps into the global popularity of Japanese animation—especially among younger viewers.
The video content emphasizes the importance of aligning marketing strategies with current cultural and localized trends to engage more effectively with target audiences.
6. ERW
Industry: Sports beverages
ERW, a brand dedicated to combating jet lag, produced this clever explainer video to showcase its products.
Style: The flat design aesthetic and simple, muted color palette simplify the relatively complex scenarios, enhancing the target audience’s understanding of the message. The clever transitions between scenes create a seamless narrative flow.
Why it works: By choosing animation over live-action, ERW was able to feature a wide range of locations that would have been far too costly to film on a start-up budget.
Animated locations, such as exotic beaches and busy airports, emphasize the brand’s key selling point: Experiencing an adventurous lifestyle without the hassle of jet lag.
7. Slack
(Source: Slack, Vimeo)
Industry: Communication software
Workplace giant Slack’s “Work, Simplified” 2D motion graphics video grabs attention, echoing what a busy day at work feels like.
Style: The animation effectively illustrates the chaos of a disorganized work environment, contrasting it with the streamlined efficiency that Slack offers. It’s a straightforward explainer video that delivers a powerful message.
Why it works: The video is engaging because it uses clear scenarios, continuous motion and seamless transitions. Incorporating the brand’s colors also enhances recognition and visual appeal.
8. Starbucks
(Source: Starbucks, YouTube)
Industry: Retail coffee and foodstuffs
In this explainer video, Starbucks presents an engaging narrative about its coffee blending process, illustrating how combining beans from different regions creates unique flavors.
Style: Starbucks cleverly employs a minimalist 2D animated style to illustrate the coffee blending process.
Why it works: The video is visually captivating, using soft, warm colors and smooth, fluid transitions that align with the brand’s aesthetic. A friendly voiceover communicates the information.
In under a minute, Starbucks showcases its commitment to high-quality coffee craftsmanship, reinforcing its status as an industry giant.
9. BlueCross BlueShield
(Source: BlueCross BlueShield, Vimeo)
Industry: Health Insurance
BlueCross BlueShield’s “Today We” video demonstrates that animated videos can be just as professional as live-action footage while maintaining a corporate feel.
Style: The animation features warm colors and expressive characters that help humanize the brand and its mission.
Why it works: The smooth superpan technique effectively showcases the extensive impact of BlueCross BlueShield across North Carolina in the United States.
The explainer video quickly conveys the diversity and significance of the organization’s work.
10. Microsoft
Industry: Technology and software
To promote its Whiteboard app, Microsoft created a 2D animation instead of the typical screen recording of the application in use.
Style: The animated video features several characters collaborating on the design of a shoe, effectively showcasing Whiteboard’s benefits and value proposition.
Why it works: The simple motion graphics used in the animation highlight the app’s ease of use, making the technology accessible to a broad audience.
This design choice reinforces the message that Microsoft’s powerful tool is user-friendly and beneficial for a wide range of users.
11. NY Presbyterian
Industry: Healthcare
This explainer video simplifies the complex topic of fighting cancer, using relatable metaphors and storytelling to explain the concept of immunotherapy. It makes intricate medical information accessible to a wide audience.
Style: Key features include minimalist and geometric illustrations, where one icon seamlessly transitions into another in creative ways, making the animation engaging to watch.
The video uses only three colors: Black, white and red. This limited color palette adds a sense of seriousness and heightens the feeling of urgency.
Why it works: The use of 2D animation effectively conveys abstract medical processes that are challenging to visualize or film, managing to be informative without using excessive technical jargon.
12. PetTech
(Source: PetTech)
Industry: Technology
PetTech frequently uses animated videos to promote its product range. In this instance, a 45-second 2D video serves as a lively introduction to the brand’s smart crate.
Style: The video uses dynamic split-screen animations to showcase the functionalities of the smart crate, catering to the needs of modern customers.
Why it works: The adorable animated dog fosters an emotional connection with viewers, making the video highly memorable.
13. Bankwest
(Source: Bankwest, Vimeo)
Industry: Finance
Bankwest’s “Know Your Money” video features 3D animation, which is relatively rare because it’s usually more expensive to produce than 2D animation.
Style: The playful video demonstrates how Bankwest’s tools can help users manage their finances by focusing on a character named Becky and her financial management needs.
Why it works: In just 30 seconds, the simple video conveys how easily Becky can track her various types of spending.
Like BlueCross BlueShield’s campaign, Bankwest’s ad demonstrates that animated video content isn’t just for kids—it can also communicate messages to adults in a polished, professional way.
14. Guardicore
Industry: Data security
This ad explains how Guardicore, a software-defined alternative to traditional firewalls, works and serves as an excellent example of an effective business video.
Style: The video employs stylized 2D animation to explain Guardicore’s micro-segmentation technology, making a complex cybersecurity topic accessible to a broader audience.
Why it works: Guardicore maintains a professional yet engaging aesthetic for the video by using a limited color palette, 3D icons and simple informational text.
The design conveys high-tech quality, enhancing brand credibility and trustworthiness.
15. Apple
(Source: Apple, YouTube)
Industry: Consumer electronics
Our video examples list would be incomplete without a mention of Apple. The much-loved brand simply excels in creating animated explainers.
Style: This video seamlessly combines animation with live-action footage to promote Apple’s goal of making every product carbon-neutral by 2030.
Why it works: It primarily features black, white and green colors, which reinforces Apple’s sleek brand identity while highlighting the environmental message.
Incorporating color shifts, animated text and live-action elements introduces an element of surprise, encouraging viewers to watch the entire video.
Motion-first brands win in 2025
Marketing materials, business videos and strategies that incorporate animation can help you win customers in 2025 and beyond.
As demonstrated by the corporate examples included in this article, animation can make your video content even more engaging.
Superside is your creative team’s creative team. As the world’s leading AI-powered creative service, we help in-house teams at brands like Amazon, Intuit, Reddit, and Salesforce scale high-performing creative faster and more cost-effectively than traditional agencies.
We’re also a leading creative partner for large enterprises looking to create high-quality animated corporate videos.
Superside provides a complete animation solution, with an animation studio that handles everything from script writing to storyboarding, voiceover, sound effects and final delivery.
Built to empower internal creative design teams, our expert design services drive engagement, educate audiences and improve multi-channel campaign performance.
We combine creative storytelling with efficient, scalable operations, making us the ideal partner for your corporate animated videos.
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