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A Valentine’s Vignette & Why Brands Should Use Animated GIFs

February 14, 2018
tags: , , , , , ,

Big-name brands all use animated GIFs as part of their content marketing mix.

Here’s a quick sketch Valentine’s Day idea I did for Chick-fil-A.animated GIF Valentine's Day content marketing branding proposal for Chick-fil-A mark armstrong illustration logo

I could almost hear honky-tonk music as I watched it, so I converted it to video format so
I could add a soundtrack.

I got the track from the YouTube Music Library. It’s by composer Kevin MacLeod, and it was the first thing I listened to. The title: If I Had A Chicken. No, I’m not kidding.blank vertical space, 32 pixels high

 

GIFs are old school (they were introduced back in 1987), but they’re extremely popular. They have a lot to offer brands:blank vertical space, 16 pixels high

  • highly visual, which makes them memorable
  • “cooler” than static images, but a lot cheaper than video
  • since they’re part of internet culture, they help brands look “with it”
  • mobile-friendly
  • have an emotional appeal that makes people want to share them
  • can be used for stories and announcements (new product, special sale)
  • appeal to people who aren’t receptive to traditional advertising
  • perfect for humor to help humanize a brand
  • can be used for email marketing to boost engagement
  • prompt brands to think outside the box and do something different

blank vertical space, 24 pixels highHere are a few examples of brands posting animated GIFs to Twitter:blank vertical space, 16 pixels high

Oreo makes its famous cookie part of New Year’s Eve:blank vertical space, 16 pixels high

blank vertical space, 24 pixels highblank vertical space, 16 pixels highFiat shows its car has horsepower:blank vertical space, 16 pixels high

blank vertical space, 32 pixels highDigiorno Pizza serves up a new product:blank vertical space, 16 pixels high

blank vertical space, 32 pixels highStarbucks conjures up a little Christmas magic:blank vertical space, 16 pixels high

blank vertical space, 32 pixels highSamsung pumps up interest in its Gear Sport Smartwatch:blank vertical space, 16 pixels high

blank vertical space, 32 pixels highBudweiser serves up some frothy humor during the Super Bowl:blank vertical space, 16 pixels high

blank vertical space, 16 pixels high

    *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *      blank vertical space, 16 pixels high

About Mark: I’m an illustrator specializing in humor, branding, social media, and content marketing. I create images that get content seen and shared.

You can view my portfolio, and connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Questions? Send me an email.

blank vertical space, 40 pixels highRecommendation testimonial for Mark Armstrong Illustration from Ashley Callahan content strategy PR manager Chick-fil-A restaurants corporateblank vertical space, 40 pixels high
blank vertical space, 16 pixels highblank vertical space, 40 pixels high

from → design, humor, illustration
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