The Commercial Industry
The commercial side of the industry has its own specific goals and services which differ to the traditional entertainment animation. Through various market categories such as Food and beverage, Health care and lifestyle, technology and Entertainment.
An area which has been of interest to me within the animation industry has been the Commercial Industry, this consists of social media adverts, television adverts, marketing and brand storytelling, as well as working on music videos, explainer videos etc.
In the UK this part of the industry is often seen through the quirky adverts and creative style. One beautiful example of this, is the 2013 John Lewis Christmas Advert – The Bear and the Hare which had Production companies like Hornet and Blink Ink. Where they used both Traditional 2d hand drawn animation with Stop-motion to create such a heart-warming and emotional animation.
Since I enjoy the creative and unique aspects that 2D animation brings with its style that larger entertainment animation companies like Disney and Pixar have moved on from, I think that the commercial industry keeps this alive by bringing out certain stylised animations that captures the appeal of various audiences watching which is fantastic as it gives the opportunity to create something artistic and individual to the brand.
Another example of advertisements that have included animation is the 2022 Flora perfume advert By Gucci which features Miley Cyrus in an animated sequence which is influenced by the 80/90 anime style. A very aesthetically pleasing advert which combines live-action with 2D digital Animation, this not only attracts the audiences of Miley Cyrus Fans, but anime fans as well.
Music Videos:
I am also interested in music videos, which in more recent years I have seen the integration of using animation for storytelling. Such as the 2024 release by Megan Thee Stallion – Neva Play (feat. RM) which features a similar style and approach to the use of live action with 2d animation if the music artists. Again the style is unique to the visual story using reference to Cyberpunk in terms of art style.
Feature Films and series:
I would of course, like to work in a feature films or series so that I can have experience of the industry through an Internship or possibly an industry contact. With Netflix, Disney plus, Prime video, Hulu .etc on demand, films and series are now more accessible to stream, with a huge popularity in characters and narratives that are more inclusive and great storytelling. Its a highly competitive industry to work in as there is a higher opportunity for success. Examples include Netflix’s K-pop demon hunters feature film, released in 2025 or the Series Arcane from League of Legends, released in 2021 with two successful seasons. The industry is also always on the surface of new animation techniques and styles advancing its approach along with technology, appeal and trends and merging with the gaming industry as well.
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