Our 5 Favorite B2B Video Ads — And What Made Them So Effective

Video ads are undoubtedly the future of advertising. Data showed that the demand for watching videos has grown by 80% over the past two years, and marketers using video content as part of their marketing strategy have seen 3x more engagement and traffic than those who run non-video campaigns only. And B2B is no exception.

Since the iconic Christmas advert of John Lewis in 2011, brands have shifted the focus of product features in their video ads to the story people can resonate with, capturing the attention of prospects better than ever before. With this tactic, numerous B2B businesses have managed to connect with their audience authentically, generating buzz around their products and services. So, if you’re looking to increase sales or boost brand awareness through video, it’s time to get inspired!

Here are our 5 favorite B2B video ads created with the strategies that make a video ad successful today.

1. Webflow

Webflow’s animated video ad presents how easy it is to create your own website with their product

The video hooks you in immediately with the combined vibes of AI and friendliness. The vivid colors, beautiful graphics, dynamic animation transitions, and the music that perfectly compliment the visuals get the viewer sucked in an outstanding brand experience. The geometric elements are abstract, but they clearly convey a message: you can do it like a pro, and it’s gonna be fun. 

Also, Webflow leverages one of the most effective video marketing instruments: storytelling. We hear a story about Webflow developing the solution for people who want to build a website without coding knowledge. The video opens with a narrator saying these two sentences: 

“When they said, “You can’t create a custom website without knowing how to code”, we said, “Challenge accepted”.

Webflow’s storytelling strategy targets the major pain point of their prospects: they want to make their own website, but they aren’t developers. And it works its magic. Watching this video, we absolutely believe that we could build a website from scratch, easily.‍

‍

2. monday.com

You can’t really browse Youtube without running into a video ad work management platform provider monday.com. With 108 million views, monday.com’s Teamwork Made Easy video ad had the attention of every professional involved in project management.

In this 55-second live-action video, a girl in an office environment talks about the features of the platform and how they can benefit from using monday.com as a team. During her explanation, she addresses the problems that they used to struggle with as a team and provides the solution by telling a personal story of how Monday.com has tackled it for her team.

This video also excels at storytelling. While we can see numerous footage introducing the subject, animated images of the platform’s surface appeal. This allows the viewer to focus on the girl’s story and get a sneak peek at the experience of using the software – without requesting a demo. 

‍

3. Squarespace

Website builder and hosting platform provider Squarespace features world-famous actor Keanu Reeves in its video ad. Sitting around the bonfire in a desert alone, the actor starts to build his own website for his motorcycle company, ARCH Motorcycle. After a few clicks, he already has a stunning home page which WOWs him – proving the viewer that they can do it too. In a blink of an eye.

This video’s content is powerful for its narrative and visual elements, but its efficiency lies in its marketing strategy: advertising with a famous person. Brands putting celebrities in the spotlight differentiate themselves from their competitors by making consumers remember everything that comes with the famous person. The image, the lifestyle, the values they stand for. Watching this video, we can’t help recalling the iconic performances of Keanu Reeves in the Matrix and John Wick movies. And, of course, our brain automatically draws an analogy between the epic experiences we get from Keanu in his movies and the experience we may get from Squarespace using their product.

4. Microsoft Office

Microsoft has always been a pioneer in advertising, but this animated video about the Microsoft Office app is spot on. Would you have ever thought that Office products can look so good? 

The video’s strength is the illustration that is quite similar to explainer videos, along with its compelling harmony that captures your attention and retains it. The energetic synergy of design, sound, and movement makes you believe that what you are watching is something extra, so you feel like you want to hunt down the app store and see what this new product is. 

5. Adobe

Adobe’s Click, Baby, Click live-action video ad will definitely stick in your memory. The power of its video is the highly creative story line that is built on a remarkable punch line.

The video creates tension in the first few seconds when coworkers open the door of their manager’s office panicking, saying there are too many clicks. We don’t know what they mean by “click” yet. Then, the events are gathering pace: the manager immediately calls the printing house for more books, the printing house calls a timber-producing company for more trees, and eventually, we see an enormous number of encyclopedias packed and shipped. Thanks to the dramatic performance, quick cuts, and vigorous music, the video glues your eyes to the screen and you can’t wait to see who ordered so many copies. And that person is a baby, clicking the “buy now” button constantly, why their parents have no idea what their baby is doing.

The video’s message comes through perfectly - when you’re not paying attention, it can all go wrong.

Video success: what do these ads have in common?

They all leverage the problem-agitate-solve formula in the most creative ways: they evoke emotions with beautiful design, transformational sound effects, and exceptional storytelling which convince the viewer to take action.

Would you like to thrive with a video ad? Ask us to translate your idea into a winning video ad.

‍

‍