Explainer videos are a fast way to make a complicated idea land. The problem is volume — there are a lot of them, and most look the same.
Style is one of the few levers that reliably differentiates. Here are six approaches, and what each one is actually good for.
What Is an Animated Explainer Video?
A short, visually driven marketing asset. Sales and marketing teams use it to explain a product, build awareness, and drive signups.
The structure is consistent: name the problem the market has, show how the product resolves it, and use brand colour and style throughout so viewers associate the solution with you. Good ones also give enough of the interface that a prospect can picture using it.
Why They Work
Research from Tubular Labs found 73% of consumers are more likely to buy after watching a product explainer video. Six reasons that holds:
They Capture Attention Immediately
Motion, colour, and sound together engage people who take in information visually — which is most people. That combination gets attention in the first three seconds, which is all you get.
They Reduce Workload
A good explainer answers the questions your sales team otherwise answers individually, dozens of times. It handles the common objections and the conceptual groundwork before a conversation starts.
They Lift Conversion
An animated explainer communicates the value proposition efficiently. Viewers who find the content genuinely useful are considerably more likely to act on it.
They Work Everywhere
The same asset works across social, blog posts, landing pages, and email — embedded, or as a clickable thumbnail. One production, many channels.
They’re Remembered
Animation sticks. Customers who watched an animated explainer recall the brand later, which matters because most B2B purchases don’t happen on the first visit.
They Improve Search Visibility
Video increases time on page and improves SEO. It also earns backlinks and organic sharing, both of which feed search performance directly.
Six Styles Worth Considering
1. 2D Animation
The default, and usually the right default. Nothing beats 2D for explaining a complex idea clearly and quickly.
- Faster and cheaper to produce than 3D
- Simple, readable movement makes the narrative easy to follow
- Flexible enough to carry emotional storytelling or dense technical content
2. Motion Graphics
Animation applied to graphic design — turning text, charts, and static imagery into something dynamic.
Ideal for data-led explainers and anywhere the brand needs to look precise rather than playful.
- Makes complex information easier to grasp
- Reads as polished and professional, which suits finance, enterprise, and B2B
3. Whiteboard Animation
Narration over an illustration drawn in real time. The appeal is watching the idea get built rather than being handed the finished picture.
Especially effective for educational material and step-by-step processes.
- The act of drawing holds attention through material that would otherwise lose people
- Simple and easy to follow
- Among the cheapest styles to produce
4. 3D Animation
3D adds depth and realism, which makes it the right choice when the product is physical or the concept needs to be seen in the round.
It costs more and takes longer, and for the right brief it’s worth both.
- Realistic models and environments help viewers understand complicated objects
- Depth and perspective make it more compelling to watch
- Signals investment and quality, which differentiates you from competitors using stock 2D
5. Stop Motion
Individual frames photographed in sequence to build movement. The handmade quality is what makes it distinctive.
Strong for storytelling and physical product showcases.
- Looks unlike anything else in a feed
- Rewards creative ambition, and viewers remember it
- The handcrafted feel creates a sense of authenticity that polished animation can’t fake
6. Augmented Reality
The newest of the six. AR overlays digital content onto the viewer’s real environment.
Still early, but with real potential — animated product demos a customer can place in their own space, or interactive tutorials anchored to real objects.
- Interaction with digital content in a real setting drives engagement well above passive video
- Positions the brand as technically ahead, which is itself a differentiator in some categories
Conclusion
Style choice makes explainer videos more effective — but only when it fits the subject and the audience.
2D’s clarity, motion graphics’ precision, 3D’s immersion, stop motion’s character: each is right for a different brief. What matters is picking deliberately rather than defaulting.
Choose well and you get a video that teaches, engages, and gets remembered.
Not sure which style suits your product? Tell us what you’re explaining.