How often have you told your video marketing team, or even been instructed yourself, to think outside the box? While the notion of “thinking outside the box” conjures groundbreaking and exciting creative video ideas, many people are hesitant to commit to creatively risky concepts — especially when those concepts need to be pitched to a client.
Sticking to the status quo is how brands fall into the cycle of revamping and recycling marketing campaigns and never actually producing videos that push the envelope, start conversations, elicit an emotional response or challenge conventional thinking. Customer engagement is dependent upon these factors.
So before you head into your next brainstorming session, challenge your process by trying these creative short video ideas on for size…
1. Creatively Maximise a Lower Budget
Not having a huge budget shouldn’t deter you from trying new ideas. There are plenty of creative ways to think outside the box without breaking the bank.
Use Existing Resources
One of the most compelling video marketing campaigns was shot for just $4,500.
In 2012, Dollar Shave Club was a young start-up with an eye on their bottom line. But that didn’t stop them from creating a video that would go viral and directly convert over 12,000 new customers in just 48 hours.
If you watch the video, which was shot in the company’s warehouse and starred actual staff members, you’ll realise DSC did something pretty amazing — they made shaving razors funny and cool (as cool as razors can be).
Michael Dubin, the Club’s CEO, very smartly said, “When you’re launching a new business and sharing a new idea, if you can get people to remember it, there’s obviously a better chance at success.”
Leverage Technology
Dollar Shave Club was able to use their existing resources (such as their warehouse and staff) to create the viral video mentioned above, but there are also other creative ways you can maximise your budget.
For example, use a video personalisation platform to add a personal touch to each and every video you send customers. You create one video but then can personalise it with technology to generate millions of Personalised Videos. That’s much more cost-effective per video and it’s more effective with your audience, sparking higher engagement and conversions.
Here’s an example of a personalised recap video for Star Trek Fleet Command, a popular mobile strategy game.
Not only are these videos unique and creative, but the results speak for themselves. Our gaming clients have seen impressive results like a 10x increase in engagement, a 17x increase in player reactivation and 2x more game time.
By integrating individual customer data, Personalised Videos create an engaging and memorable experience that stands out. This level of customisation not only captures attention but also fosters a sense of connection and loyalty, and they’re fun!
Encourage User-Generated Content
User-generated content, or UGC, is a gold mine for content marketing. Not only is it genuine and engaging, but it’s also cheap (see: nearly free) for a brand to use.
User-generated content is any type of content — videos, photos, reviews, testimonials, etc. — created by customers or fans of a brand. This content is often more relatable and trustworthy to other consumers because it comes from real people rather than the company itself. Gen Z, a notoriously hard demographic to market to, appreciates authentic, relatable and personal video content.
GoPro utilises user-generated content for one of their most iconic campaigns: the GoPro Awards. Not only is it a huge honour to have your video featured in their annual selections, but applicants also have a chance to win a share of $1,000,000. Check out the 2023 GoPro Awards finalists below.
As you can see, GoPro used user-generated content for one of their most powerful videos of the year and, prize money aside, they didn’t need a video marketing budget to do it. By showcasing content created by their users, GoPro has managed to build a vast library of high-quality videos that not only demonstrate the product’s capabilities but also resonate with their adventurous audience.
There’s no denying that maxing out a limited budget requires creativity and the right resources, but if you do it right, you can leverage the many benefits of video marketing without breaking the bank.
2. Show People What Not To Do
When we think of successful marketing, we likely think of campaigns that show how customers can use a product or service. But, what if you flipped the script and showed what not to do?
For a mere $50, Blendtec produced the first 5 videos in their now famous and still active “Will It Blend?” marketing campaign. Widely acknowledged as one of the pioneers of viral marketing, Blendtec produced a series of videos in 2006 that showed off their blenders’ exceptional blending capabilities, except they weren’t blending traditional food items.
In the videos, CEO Tom Dickson dons a white lab coat to see if household objects — super glue, glow sticks, toy cars, baseballs, even iPhones — will submit to a Blendtec’s blades. Hint: All of these things do, to very entertaining effect.
Within a few days of the original campaign launch, the 5 videos attracted 6 million views on YouTube and a growing legion of devoted fans who couldn’t wait to see what Dickson would blend next. Today, there are dozens of “Does it Blend?” videos that serve not only as excellent marketing for Blendtec, but as engaging pieces of stand-alone video content.
Watch for yourself as he reduces an iPhone to digital dust.
If a Blendtec can obliterate an iPhone that easily, you better believe it’ll do wonders for your morning peanut butter kale smoothie. It’s worth noting that the video above has over 6.2 million views on its own.
3. Have Some Fun With Your Brand
The 2 campaign examples above take un-funny products — shaving razors and kitchen blenders — and build video campaigns around them that are actually enjoyable to watch. That’s the beauty of injecting a little lightheartedness into otherwise boring industries. Don’t be afraid to have a little fun with your video marketing.
Allstate did an excellent job at sprinkling a little humor into the insurance industry when they launched the “Mayhem” campaign. The spot below even appeals to the typically hard to target younger audiences by poking gentle fun at the habits — ahem, texting and driving — and lingo of that demographic.
One brand that has become synonymous with silly marketing is Liquid Death, a water company that has taken their videos to the next level.
Their water comes in aluminum cans with edgy branding, which means that they’re often mistaken for alcoholic beverages. Their Super Bowl commercial featured a playful twist on typical beer ads by showcasing kids at a wild party — but with a surprising twist: they’re only drinking water. The ad shows scenes of children having a blast, complete with all the energy and chaos of a typical rager, but with Liquid Death’s canned water as the beverage of choice.
If there’s ever a company that’s not afraid to have fun with their brand, it’s Liquid Death (they have also done a ton of unexpected brand collaborations, including creating a casket with cooler brand YETI).
And the video above is a mere 30 seconds, showing how using the right creative ideas for short videos can still make a big impact.
These campaigns remind us that even traditional industries can have fun with their brand.
4. Turn Written Content Into Video
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Turning existing content into video is a strategic way to make the most out of your marketing efforts and lean into the power of visual storytelling. After all, 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual. Even more, 44% of people prefer to learn about a product or service by watching a video, compared to 16% who prefer an ebook or manual and 13% who prefer a text-based article.
If you’ve taken the time to create written materials that enhance your product offering or educate people on how to maximise their experience with your service, it’s wise to spend a little more time turning those materials into video campaigns.
This concept is fantastically illustrated with the rise of YouTube makeup tutorials and reviews. Most people don’t want to read an instruction packet about the best way to apply eye shadow or lipstick — they want to see it in action.
The video example above takes what could normally be boring instructions on how to apply makeup and makes them fun with Olivia Rodrigo, a popular singer, making a Get Ready With Me-style tutorial.
The effectiveness of seeing products and services in action extends across industries. Whether you’re selling cosmetics or blenders, cars or mops, the fact remains that people want to get information from fun, unique videos that tell a story.
Bonus Tip: Use AI To Turn Text Into Video
It’s no surprise that video often performs better than traditional written content, but how exactly can you turn your existing content into video? The good news is that it’s easier than you might think.
With the advance of AI in video creation, businesses can quickly repurpose written content into dynamic video formats. These tools can automatically transform static content such as web pages, whitepapers and blog posts into engaging videos. Check out the video below that we made from our 2024 State of Video Technology Report.
To make this video, all we had to do was give our Enterprise AI Video tool the link to the webpage and it extracted key information from the text, selected relevant visuals and generated the storyboard, voiceover and more. With tools like this, you can quickly and easily turn any webpage into a shareable video.
Creative Video Is the Future
Creativity in video marketing isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s essential for standing out in a crowded digital landscape. While it might feel safer to stick to tried-and-true methods, true innovation comes from thinking outside the box and pushing the boundaries of conventional marketing.
That’s exactly what we do with Next Generation Video. Video can do so much more than it used to — it can be personalised, interactive and, yes, AI-driven.
Whether you’re working with a tight budget, leveraging user-generated content, or turning written materials into engaging videos, there are countless ways to infuse creativity into your campaigns.
To learn more about how Idomoo helps brands create one-of-a-kind videos using our Next Generation Video Platform, request a call. We look forward to wowing your customers with some truly creative videos.
