How to Create an Emotional Story in an Explainer Video

Explainer videos’ primary purpose is to illustrate complex concepts. But incorporating emotion into explainers can elevate them to a whole new level. By evoking feelings in viewers, you can create a memorable and impactful experience that drives engagement. Let’s explore when and how to create an emotional story in your explainer video.

The first step in creating any explainer is understanding your audience. Conduct thorough research to identify their demographics, interests, and pain points. Getting to know who you’re selling to will also help you decide if adding emotion to your video is appropriate.

Let’s look at an animation we created for our clients at P.S. I’m With You. This is a platform that allows users to send pre-recorded messages to a loved one after they pass away. The target audience is older or terminally ill people, as well as those in high-risk professions.

A strong narrative forms the backbone of any emotional story. For this video, we wanted to play on the emotional strings of the audience, without sounding melodramatic and sappy. The main idea was to make the client the hero and the service itself a mere mediator between the client and the recipient of the message.

So instead of simply explaining what the service does, we crafted a script that demonstrates what the platform does. The story is framed like a message from a dead grandfather to his granddaughter for her birthday. This format allows the audience to empathize with our character and sets the stage for an emotional journey.

Storytelling doesn’t end with the script. The animation style, music, and visuals play a key role in conveying the intended emotion. For the video for P.S. I’m With You, we choose a color palette that aligns with the mood we wanted to convey – the pastel colors set a calm and positive vibe, while the music contributes to the hopeful and sweet feeling. The characters have detailed facial features so that they can express emotions.

By incorporating emotions into your explainer videos, you can create a memorable and impactful experience for your audience. That can make your explainer video relatable and help potential clients them feel a deeper connection to your brand. In the case of P.S. I’m With You, an emotional explainer video was able to demonstrate the benefits of the platform and inspire more people to sign up.