Brand videos are where creativity meets strategy. 

They build a connection with your audience, whether they’re loyal customers or are just discovering you now. Brand videos engage viewers, answer questions, and provide a perspective that is thoroughly yours. 

Video is already an undeniable force that shapes how brands connect with audiences. Brands that use video in their marketing will grow their revenue 49% faster than those that don’t. 

And while there are some formulas for the following types of video you and your team can create with Vimeo — the perfect recipe is something you’ll find through a well-strategized approach and some trial and error. 

More branded videos that we love →

1. Explainer videos

By the end of an explainer video, your audience should have the answers they were searching for.  

Explainer videos are educational in nature and can exist in any format to answer customer questions. They go through the steps of how to use a product or explain a thought-leadership concept in a talking-head format.

Tip ✨

Explainer videos make great support documentation, answering FAQs from any part of the buyer’s journey.

One important quality of a good explainer video is that it isn’t sales-driven. You shouldn’t be trying to convince anyone to buy anything. Instead, outline a problem and solve it. Or, address a frequently asked question like in this simple yet effective video:


Explainer videos are usually high-level. They’re made for customers early on in the funnel, potentially in a research stage. 

To understand what kind of explainer you need for your video marketing efforts, ask your sales team what questions they answer on a daily basis. Get to know your customers and what they’re experiencing and seeing. 

If you’re launching a new product and need to create a product explainer video, get together with your product marketing team to discover the most important features to highlight and the most impactful way to do so.

Animation and illustration can be a great way to communicate product updates or complicated concepts that benefit from visualization. 

To deliver a powerful explainer video, keep these tips in mind: 

  • Know your strategy and plan your approach around your audience.
  • Be straightforward. Don’t waste time on unnecessary information or visuals that distract from the point.
  • Keep a professional, helpful tone.
  • Include captions for accessibility and user preference.

Vimeo Staff Pick example

You’re along for the ride in this docu-style explainer video for the 2020 Norco Optic. Bryan Atkinson flies down the trails of interior British Columbia while narrating how he navigates the terrain with the bike’s features. It’s just the bike, the rider, and the environment. 

Why it works: This video perfectly captures what it’s like to use the product at an expert level. It plays to its audience: outdoor lovers, adventure seekers, and bike riders. It’s also short and visually stunning. 

2. Promotional videos

A promotional video, or promo video, is all about creating brand awareness. You’re building hype or teasing a launch with a short-form video. 

Promo videos are a short snippet of what’s to come, created to pique interest and bring in traffic through social media or other channels. A good promo video is short, exciting, and quickly establishes a visual identity (hopefully aligned with your band). 


Promo videos are also a great opportunity to tap influential creators your audience knows or would be a fan of. By reaching out to creators, you can also expand your audience. 

Vimeo Staff Pick example

Why it works: Well, Raheem Sterling. It also works because unlike what we’ve suggested above, this promo is a bit long — but its length gives way to the humor of the situation unfolding. Is laughter the best way to sell a phone? We think so. 

3. Brand story and BTS videos

A brand story video is basically a get-to-know-me or an origin story for your company.

With the right budget and team, a brand story video can serve your company as a central marketing asset for years and years.

Brand story videos are important to get right, so before diving into production, ensure you have an outline, a storyboard, and a script ready to go. 

With a behind-the-scenes video, viewers get a look into your brand. They explore your workforce, your system for getting things done, or showcase where it gets done. They can also give an event or promotional campaign a new perspective.

4. Webinars

Most marketers (95%) view webinars as important to their marketing efforts. 57% of those marketers said they host up to 50 webinars annually. 

A webinar is a recording of a live session that customers can watch on-demand. They educate your client base and help to generate leads or bring customers closer to the brand. Brands can gate these webinars, requiring personal information or charging a fee, or they can put them on the internet for anyone to access. 

Sometimes brands don’t utilize their webinar recordings as branded video content, which can greatly decrease a business’s video library. If you aren’t recording your webinars to distribute later, you should be.

How do you make a great webinar?

Focus on content, create a great experience, and find ways to engage your audience.

Read more

5. Case study videos

Case study videos, also known as testimonials or customer stories, are an incredibly valuable marketing tool because they communicate the value of your product. They can be the deciding factor in whether or not to invest.

Production-wise, these types of videos usually involve a few steps: customer outreach, an interview or two that may require traveling or days at your customer’s location, shooting b-roll, your product, and then the usual editing and mixing — with the additional final step of customer approval. 

At the heart of any good testimonial is watchability. Aim for a conversational tone, not stiff or scripted, and make your customers look good. 

More tips for making great customer testimonial videos →

Case study videos can be as long as they need to be. We recommend having multiple lengths for different platforms or splicing a longer interview into multiple testimonials that can be used anywhere. 

6. Narrative branded content

A narrative video tells a story with the purpose of entertaining. That’s it. 

And while all your brand’s videos should be entertaining, that doesn’t have to be their sole purpose. 

Narrative brand content tells a story. Unlike a brand story video, it doesn’t have to include your origins. More of a typical ad format, these commercial videos put a purpose behind their product that is greater than their company. 

Many narrative brand videos focus on larger themes like family, love, compassion, and dedication. They follow a story arc. We witness an exposition, climax, and resolution. We are left with a character who is changed. 

Narrative brand content is sometimes used to introduce or expand upon a slogan, such as Nike’s “Just Do It” or “Dream Crazy” campaigns. 

Vimeo Staff Pick examples


Telekom’s “The Teacher” is a look into a teacher’s life before the holidays. It’s tender, inquisitive, and hopeful. 


Rimowa uses a similar tactic to pull on the heartstrings with its meaningful travel campaign. It’s a film about luggage, traveling, and missed calls.

Why it works: Both narrative examples follow a similar formula: problem-agitate-solution. We get to know the use case of one individual, showing the trials, tribulations, and joys of their lives. They feel personal and draw us into a story without the prerequisite of familiarity with the product or brand. 

7. Creative brand campaigns

A catch-all category for those brand videos that don’t really fit anywhere else. A creative brand video is just that — it takes an approach that differs from a formulaic brand video. The truth is, there is no formula to this. You just need to be all-in on a creative idea that you’re passionate about and aligns with your brand identity. 

For businesses looking to take a creative approach, look into the agencies, filmmakers, or teams that make your favorite creative videos. Reach out to them to see how they collaborated with those clients. What was the timeline and budget? How much creative input would you like to have? Determine the scope of this video campaign. Can it be tied to a launch? A rebrand? A specific product?

Vimeo Staff Pick examples


It’s hard to describe what type of video “Obscura” is; maybe because it feels more like an art film disguised as a commercial. This is a great example of a business trusting a creator to treat its brand artistically and passionately.


“In the Family of Things” features a reading of Mary Oliver’s poem “Wild Geese” over beautifully shot consecutive mornings on the North Coast. By showcasing the beauty of nature, this Patagonia Australia video is all that it needs to be.

Why it works: Surprising your audience is good — it means you’ll stand out against other content. 

Any sized business can make an impression with a content library of powerful and visually compelling brand videos. It’s up to you to put your unique vision and purpose into any type of video, keeping your customer at the heart of it. 

Get started on your next brand video →