For some industries, it’s hard to sell your stories with words alone. While finance companies can sell their service with a few succinct sentences, for others, that medium would be less than convincing. Without a doubt, video is the best way to convey the excitement of the game, the tension of those final minutes, and the fierce loyalty of your team. This is precisely why sports brands - spanning almost every sport, throughout the world - use animation to sell their services.
Sports animation services are characteristically bold, fun-filled and dynamic, emulating the joy and unrivalled entertainment that makes the game itself so popular. Across the sports industry, video techniques like 2D animation, motion graphics and explainer videos are used across their marketing channels. These mediums are designed to breathe life into marketing platforms. They make the content entertaining, fill it with personality, and create a consistent brand voice across all channels - even when the game isn’t on.
So, we could describe the benefits of implementing sports animation videos in your marketing campaigns. Or, we could show you how effective they are, in practice. So, here are our 5 favourite examples of animation in the sports industry, alongside the KPIs that their animation campaign helped them to deliver.
As a UK based animation agency, we couldn’t help but include this in the list. A huge amount of creativity went into their character design.
A bold and exhilarating animated 2D film created by Nexus Studios' duo Smith and Foulkes in collaboration with Y&R London is at the centre of the BBC's 'The Fearless are Here' campaign that heralds the arrival of the 2018 Winter Olympics.
In keeping with the historic, traditional nature of the tournament, the In Pursuit of Greatness animation perfectly captures the essence of Wimbledon - its rich history, quintessentially British vibe, and the heart of the competition.
This list simply wouldn’t be complete without the giant of sport advertising.
Over the years, Nike has wowed audiences with on-trend, innovative adverts. But, with over 160 million views on YouTube.
This charming, brilliantly creative animation perfectly encapsulates all of the skill and dedication that goes into what Nike stands for.
In a slightly more unusual take, Adidas recently paired up with the creators of the immensely popular TV show, Rick and Morty. They created a cartoon advert, which (again, very out-of-the-box thinking) advertised a pair of fictional Adidas shoes.
The result? A brilliantly funny, completely original advert, which uses the wacky and comedic cartoon genre to give a new edge to their brand identity.
Humour is a common theme throughout this list, and it’s easy to see why.
Animation is a fantastic way to bring comedy and warmth to an advert, reflecting the shared passion that we love about sports. It reinforces the community spirit of the competition, and reminds fans that they are a part of something bigger.
So, when the NFL aired this Superbowl advert in 2022, it was (unsurprisingly) a huge hit.
At OK Social, we craft and create animations for leading agencies and brands. We offer a wide range of services within the wonderful world of animation. Then we collaborate with your team to help illuminate your story, enhance your brief, and amplify your message.
When creating our sport animation videos, we begin by working with you to determine the main messages that you want your animation to convey. Then, we’ll help you to devise a concept for the video, and create a basic script outline for the voice-over.
From there, we will use your base to craft a compelling script, which is succinct and firmly on-brand. Once the script is finalised, the next step is to firm up the visuals. We’ll use your brand guidelines to develop the aesthetic of your video, while keeping the video dynamic and full of creativity.
Once complete, we will begin storyboarding, in order to help us visualise the key scenes before animating.
Then, when all of these elements are together, we will animate each scene with precision and artistry, add the music and sound effects, and create the feel, atmosphere and style that you envisioned. And that’s it - your finished sport animation will be ready to share with your fans.
OK Social is a professional motion design studio, specialising in creating sleek animated content. We’ve worked with some of the world’s biggest brands - including the likes of Ford, the BBC and Deliveroo - to deliver bold, entertaining and trendy content, which is full of fun.
We are renowned for driving high engagement levels, hitting our client’s targeted KPIs, while creating content which is both dynamic and firmly on-brand. Our content enhances marketing campaigns, expands your audience and boosts your brand awareness.
For sports brands, our company’s trademark creativity provides the perfect partnership, to ensure your next marketing drive knocks it out of the park.
So, to find out more about our specialist sports animation services, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
