There are more ways to market your SaaS brand than ever—and video is one of the best mediums to tell interesting stories to an audience. But despite the massive amount of creativity you can exercise through video, too many brands are churning out the same content: the dull explainers, the boring promos, the same old generic paid spots. That’s why it’s such a delight to see SaaS videos that push the limit, break the mold, or tap into a brand’s essence in the perfect way. (If we’re honest, it also sparks a bit of jealousy.)
But we believe good work should be shared and celebrated, and when you’re in a creative rut, great content can give you the inspiration you need to bring your own project to life. So today we’ve raided our bookmarks to bring you the best examples of SaaS videos that do brand storytelling in fun, fresh, and creative ways.
10 SaaS Videos That Stand Out
From beautiful animations to real-life LOLs, these SaaS videos set the bar for grade A visual storytelling.
1) Wellness the Whole Time by Dropbox
Category: Live Action
It’s rare that SaaS marketing gets to be funny—and even then, it’s rare that it really is funny. We love Dropbox for enlisting two hilarious female comedians, Kate Berlant and Jacqueline Novak, to espouse the platform’s virtues via video chat.
Special shoutout: While they could have filmed the conversation with high-quality production in a studio, the relaxed podcast video chat format feels authentic and natural.
2) Sleepy Planet by Gusto
Category: Animation
One of the best things about animation is its flexibility. You can use a captivating script, dynamic visuals, powerful music, and sound design to build any world you want. This fantastic spot for Gusto uses 3D animation to create a bold, vibrant world that tells an engaging story in only 30 seconds.
Special shoutout: We love the range of characters, scenes, and details that add to the world-building and storytelling experience.
3) Failed VoiceAI Auditions by Dialpad
Category: Live Action
AI customer service solutions don’t necessarily lend themselves to comedy, but when we were personally tasked with coming up with a creative treatment to showcase Dialpad’s new AI tech, we decided to take an absurd approach. By playing with the idea of AI (and the many failed robots whose voices didn’t make the cut), we were able to tell the story in a fun and entertaining way. (We’re also proud to say the spot earned a Webby Awards honor in the “Branded Entertainment Scripted” category.)
Special shoutout: With a robot suit so big, we needed our 6-foot-4 C5 Account Director Jonathan Brewer-Sweet to step into the suit (literally) and save the day.
4) Build the Future at Dropbox With Us by Dropbox
Category: Motion Graphic
To generate a sense of excitement about working for Dropbox, this motion graphic tells the real story of what Dropbox does: allow employees to turn their ideas into reality, make an impact, and build future-focused products that help people around the world. With a quirky spin on a nostalgic vibe, the clean and colorful visuals and seamless animation showcase the far-reaching impact employees can have.
Special shoutout: The music and sound design add another layer of depth to this piece, helping to strengthen the quirky/nostalgic vibe.
5) Your Mom’s Short Ribs by Instacart
Category: Live Action
If you’re a foodie and a fan of quality film production, you’ll think this spot is delicious. (Sorry, we had to say it.) The cinematic feel and narrative structure make it feel more like a short film than an ad, which is always an impressive feat in video marketing.
Special shoutout: We love the voiceover in this piece. The tone is perfect for the cinematic feel, as is the humorous approach.
6) 2019 Premium Campaign by Cabeza Patata x Spotify Premium
Category: Animation
The dynamic dancing animation in this spot is an instant hit of energy. (It’s giving us classic Apple iPod campaign vibes—in a fresh and modern way.) The color, the unique characters, and the movements are both entrancing and entertaining.
Special shoutout: The dance moves these characters make are better than most people in real life. Shoutout to the animators who gave them their groove, one frame at a time.
7) Paddle Rebrand
Category: Mixed Media
If you want to stand out in your space, you need a distinct visual identity and voice. In a world where so much corporate content has become a copy of a copy of a copy, it’s rare that a visual treatment feels original and authentic. This spot features beautiful, moody illustrations combined with energetic pacing to deliver a sense of urgency and convey the story using every video production tool at hand.
Special shoutout: It’s rare that you see stock footage used in an effective and powerful way. The animators of this spot did an incredible job of integrating this footage in a way that feels intentional and captivating.
8) Cloud Coordination by IBM Hybrid Cloud
Category: Live Action
Like many legacy tech companies, IBM hasn’t exactly been known for its young and fresh personality, but this spot signals a fresh direction for the brand. No more 90s stock photo vibes, this spot is bold, lively, and energetic.
Special shoutout: We’re especially impressed by the seamless transitions that move us from scene to scene in exciting ways.
9) Customer Data by Amperity
Category: Animation
Video is a powerful tool to bring a story to life, and this spot does so in a unique and creative way via 3D visuals that seamlessly showcase the ways that Parity improves users’ lives.
Special shoutout: Oftentimes, videos that rely on more abstract visuals tend to be, well, a little too abstract. This spot does a great job of using an abstract visual as a metaphor to tell the story of what Parity does.
10) Make Your Next Move with John Malkovich & Make It With Keanu Reeves by Squarespace
Category: Live Action
Not every brand has Malkovich and Reeves money, but what makes these spots so impactful is the approach to storytelling. Taking the short film approach, each spot follows the stars as they look to start new business ventures and find Squarespace to be their perfect partner.
Special shoutout: We love that they created longer-form narrative pieces that were then broken down into shorter, digestible ads. When you have Malkovich and Reeves available, you better take full advantage of it.
How to Bring Your Brand Stories to Life
No matter what format you use, the key to good content is always a strong story. As you work on your new video campaigns, follow these tips to create work that makes an impression.
- Know what your story is. Use our brand strategy toolkit to identify your brand’s core beliefs, messaging, and visual identity to share your brand story with the world.
- Brainstorm relevant ideas for your audience. Start with these 9 prompts to tell fresh, interesting stories.
- Learn from the stars in your industry. If you’re looking for more inspiration, check out these awesome marketing campaigns, and enjoy these B2B video marketing examples.
And if you’re looking for a partner to help shape your strategy or help you find your audience, see our tips to find the right agency for you, check out our service FAQs, or reach out directly. We’d love to help you share your story through screens worldwide.
