Bringing storytelling to life: Animation advertising helps brands cut through the clutter in an entertaining way

Matthew Schwartz

No longer exclusive to warm-and-fuzzy characters encouraging consumers to purchase product, animation advertising is being deployed to express brand value, build market share, and, perhaps most importantly, entertain fickle consumers via multiple channels.

Creating brand mascots and animated characters is an advertising tradition. "Tony the Tiger" (Kellogg's Frosted Flakes), the Pillsbury Doughboy, and "Charlie the Tuna" (StarKist) are just a few of the original and enduring characters to capture consumers' hearts. However, in a post-digital age, branded animation advertising is starting to take on much broader and strategic dimensions.

No longer exclusive to warm-and-fuzzy characters encouraging consumers to purchase product, animation advertising is being deployed to express brand value, build market share, and, perhaps most important, entertain fickle consumers via multiple channels.

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