27 Jun 4 Benefits of Stop-Motion Characters in Commercials

The advancements in CG graphics and advanced computer graphics have made former animation techniques a thing of the past, but as you develop commercials for your company, you may want to reconsider their use.

Stop-motion characters come with a lot of benefits directly associated with commercials. The characters made of clay, plastic, or other designs will typically get shot frame by frame to create a smooth and seamless animation style. The resulting video has a quirky appeal that has been used by filmmakers for multiple generations.

Learn about these benefits and why you should consider the use of stop-motion characters and animation elements in your commercial video production. A professional team can help you through the process and ensure the final output includes smooth motions and professional design elements. Check out some of the benefits and elements to consider for your commercials.

1. Nostalgic Style

If you’re looking to put a lot of emphasis on nostalgia in your commercial production, then stop-motion characters can instantly draw interest. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, many companies relied on stop-motion productions to create commercials. Some of the more popular characters included the California Raisins, the Pillsbury Doughboy, and The Noid from Domino’s.

If you create your own stop-motion characters to represent your company, the design and style can conjure up a lot of nostalgic feelings for viewers and help them instantly connect to your commercial style. Along with the stop-motion characters, the commercial could feature a similar style and vibe to those original commercials and really lean in on the nostalgia.

2. Easier Production Methods

In early production days, the stop-motion process included a lot of frame-by-frame animations that could really extend production times. The expansive use of CG and computer effects have made the stop-motion production process much easier to handle. With the use of CG, you can create the visuals of a stop-motion production without the extended production.

CG effects can make the animation look smoother and add additional elements. For example, you could add in CG backgrounds, props, and other details to make the scenes feel more active and alive. An advanced production team can help you plan digital effects and use professional production tools like lighting to make the whole design look as detailed as possible.

3. Expansive Branding Opportunities

When you create stop-motion characters for use in commercials, the characters are not just limited to commercial use. While in production, you can take professional photos of the character designs in a variety of poses and then really amp up the branding of the characters to help with awareness.

For example, you can create print ads that showcase the character and help draw some recognition from others who have viewed the commercial. You could use the characters to create a wide range of promotional products. The products can include a variety of options like stickers, notepads, drawstring bags, and coasters.

You can build strong brand recognition around the characters. The characters could feature your brand colors and company logo as well. When you complete still shots at a commercial production, you will do it all within one session and have a lot of material to work with as you launch your advertising campaign.

4. Future Commercial Options

As you plan the production of a stop-motion commercial, you will find many ways to build off the single production and help plan future commercials. For example, you will have the option to reuse all of the models and character designs you designed for the initial commercial.

This means you can eliminate a lot of the production and preparation process for future commercials and reduce the associated costs. The use of models could also expand to any sets you build to use the models with. Save the sets and then reuse them as you plan more commercials in the future. With the designs in place, you will save a lot of time and money.

If you already have future commercial ideas in mind, then you could layer the productions onto each other and capture footage to use with multiple commercials. You could even use the commercial production to film small bumpers that get added to the end of every commercial you produce or video you put up online.

For example, you could film a stop-motion character who says your business tagline or just the name of your business. The simple animation will provide a nice thematic way to showcase your company and build a lot of brand awareness around the character.

Plan out your commercial and use state-of-the-art equipment with our production team here at Big Shoulders Digital Video Productions. Along with the production of the commercial, our team of professionals can help you with the planning, set design, voice-over work, and special effects of the project, as well as final edits on the stop-motion production.