Animated or Live-Action Video? Which Format Is Best for Presenting Your Product?

Most people, when they think about making a product video, think of a camera: the product displayed and well lit in a studio, or a model using it. That path works, but it isn't the only one and, depending on the campaign's goal, it may not be the best one.

2D animation, motion graphics and animated explainer videos solve problems that live-action can't. Not because they're superior in absolute terms, but because they do things that go beyond the powers of a camera.

Understanding these differences is what makes video an assertive communication tool for your brand, rather than just "another video" identical to everything else on the internet.

Why make an animated video?

The answer is: it depends on what you want to communicate and what you want to achieve.

According to Wyzowl's 2026 survey, 91% of companies already use video in their marketing and 93% recognize the format as an essential part of their strategy. Live-action is the most commonly used format, followed by animation. In 2024, 24% of video ads produced were fully animated, up from 18% in 2022.

Animation becomes the favorite when what needs to be communicated is more complex and abstract. A mechanism of action, a data flow, a chemical reaction: products like these don't fit in a shoot. The harder something is to show with a camera, the more animation has to say.

In these cases, the choice isn't "animation or live-action" as an aesthetic preference. It's a strategic decision based on what needs to be communicated. But when the strategy allows, why not choose both?

Combining the two, filming and motion graphics/animation, is the most complete solution for communication that needs to bring together the concrete and the abstract at the same time.

Live-action can show that a herbicide is a liquid, that the packaging is practical, that application is simple. What it can't show is how the active ingredient works on the plant, why that formulation penetrates faster, or what happens at the cellular level that makes this product different from the competition. That's the information technical buyers are looking for, and it's exactly what animation can represent clearly. That's why animation is one of the most effective video formats for agribusiness, for example.

The same reasoning applies to software, digital platforms, industrial equipment, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and any category where the product's real value isn't found only on its visible surface.

But choosing animation isn't always just a technical decision. This is where what we, at IRRA, consider the essence of everything comes in: creativity to put ideas in motion.

How animated videos help you stand out from the competition

Imagine that all the products in a category look the same. The communication is the same, too. If every competitor uses the same type of video (product shots in a studio, customer testimonials, field demonstrations...), a company that makes a high-quality 2D animated video stands out. The format grabs attention because it's different. And on social media, attention is a valuable currency.

This is an example we experienced firsthand with Henlau Química (Henlau Chemistry). When the company came to us to create videos for its PPE products, our initial research showed that virtually all competitors were showing the product being applied in live-action. An animated video was a way to speak to the people who actually make the decisions, in a way none of the competitors were doing.

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When live-action is still the best choice

Being honest about animation's limits is also part of recommending the right format.

When a product needs to build credibility through real imagery, such as food, cosmetics, fashion or consumer goods, live-action is the best path. That's because consumers want to see the real product, not a representation of it.

Testimonials and human stories also belong to the camera. Animation represents processes and concepts. Real people telling real stories call for visual authenticity.

Combining the two, filming and motion graphics/animation, is the most complete solution for communication that needs to bring together the concrete and the abstract at the same time. That's the case with the "Araddo Formulação Exclusiva" (Araddo Exclusive Formulation) video we made for ADAMA Brasil:

Either way, the starting point for choosing the ideal format for a marketing video is the same: understanding what needs to be seen in order to be understood, and what needs to be felt in order to be remembered.

Animation, live-action, or both: our job is to deliver an IRRAwesome video!

Let 's talk!