Are sales slowing down?
Have you started doubting the quality of your products and your ability to capture your customers’ attention?
It’s frustrating when customers scroll past without engaging, but it doesn’t have to mean there’s an issue with your product.
It could be a fault in your product presentation – a tangible reason why your product’s value isn’t fully showing.
While standing out has never been harder than in today’s saturated market, with a little creativity, you can break free of the mold and bring your products to life in ways your competitors haven’t.
And for that, you’ll need 3D animation:
- An approach that lets your customers see every angle of your product, understand every feature, and engage with it in an immersive and memorable way
- An approach that’s projected to reach $51.03 billion in spending by 2030 due to demand in media, entertainment, and retail
Not sure how it’ll help your business?
Keep reading.
The Role of Animation in Product Marketing
Animation is making strides for marketing products, and for good reason – it does what static visuals can’t: bring products to life.
3D animation shows movement, interaction, and detail, which then helps customers understand a product’s value instantly, engages them on a deeper level, and makes your brand stand out in the crowd.
But here’s where 3D product animation really shines:
Telling stories through movement
The fundamental benefit of 3D animation is its ability to turn simple and static product visuals into dynamic narratives. And while this method isn’t mainstream yet, statistics show that in 2023, 86% of businesses reported using motion in their marketing, so now’s not the time to ignore potential money-makers.
Since our team at Eon Eden mainly works with furniture manufacturers, here’s how we tell stories through 3D-animated furniture:
- We showcase the intricacies of various pieces of furniture: chairs, tables, sofas, armchairs, etc., down to the shine on the material.
- We ensure you can rotate the products to reveal every angle, so you can plan your layout in as much detail as possible.
- We create functional animations with sofas opening, beds transforming, and drawers sliding to demonstrate exactly how a product works in real life.
This movement is crucial when highlighting design details, materials, and functionality. Regardless of how professional your product photography is, static photos won’t capture the dynamism of your product.
When you let your customers experience your product instead of just seeing it, they can create a stronger connection to it, leading to increased confidence in purchase decisions.
Engaging customers with interactive demos
If you want to take it a step further, you can try interactive demos and let your customers explore your products in detail.
Use short, engaging videos that showcase your product’s features and functionality in real time. This could be simple (or more complex) presentations like:
- Modular or configurable pieces being reassembled
- Devices demonstrating key functions or transformations
- Packaging opening or assembly processes
- Products in use to highlight interaction
These demos give your customers a clearer understanding of how your products work and take your descriptions beyond text and photos. This way, you can emphasize unique features in action and make it easier for your customers to visualize the product in their lives.
Popular Types of 3D Product Animations
3D product animations can be powerful marketing and educational tools, especially when they make complex products easier to understand.
As 3D animation services continue to evolve, certain popular types have emerged that businesses can use to communicate their product value. Our 3D team loves to use explainer animations and feature highlight animations due to their versatility and usability for different types of products.
Explainer animations
Explainer animations are the default videos customers think of when considering 3D product animations. In 3D design, they’ve become one of the most effective and most prevalent tools for marketing and product education.
These 3D animations simplify your product by combining visual storytelling, narration, and information to make it easier for potential customers to remember product details. While explainer videos are most commonly used for complex products like tech or software, they can come in clutch for almost any industry.
As we mentioned previously, we regularly use them for our clients in furniture manufacturing to present assembly and modification guides.
Explainer animations are a fundamental part of video marketing, with over 73% of marketers using them in their strategy, as stated in a study done by Wyzowl. This survey also notes that nearly 90% of consumers say explainer videos influence their purchasing decisions and help them retain messages better.
Feature highlight animations
If your product consists of multiple features, you can use 3D feature highlight animations to put the spotlight directly on the standout attributes of your product. This way, you can showcase product features and effectively present their benefits.
A great example of a feature highlight animation (and one we’re all familiar with) is the Apple iPhone video for every new release. These animations zoom in on specific product features, like the camera system, display technology, or new processing capabilities, with smooth close-ups and transitions to emphasize each aspect. Right beside the animations, you’ll see related information about the feature and how it benefits the user.
For most clients, we recommend a mix of explainer and feature highlight animations to ensure we capture the intricacies of the product and reflect its value to the consumer. But, for specific use cases, we may advise using one over the other.
Best Practices for Using 3D Animation in Marketing
Unfortunately, including just any type of 3D animation into your marketing isn’t enough. With competition becoming harsher and companies investing more in product presentation, your business must do its best to capture busy audiences.
And to do that, you should abide by several best practices for using 3D animation in your product marketing:
- Keep animations short and impactful: Attention spans are shrinking, with research showing that the average viewer’s focus drops after the four-second mark. While we won’t lament about what that means for humanity as a whole, we’ll highlight that, for business, it means you need to hit hard from the start. Don’t wait until later on in your videos to relay your product features and benefits – start the video with your unique selling point (USP).
- Use animations across multiple channels: Don’t relegate your 3D animations to your website only; these videos shine when integrated across diverse marketing channels such as social media, product pages, email campaigns, and trade show presentations. With a multi-channel approach, you’ll increase your product’s reach and reinforce your messaging across all touchpoints.
- Include interactive elements: Give your users the chance to explore products from different angles or customize features (like color and texture) to find what works best for them. This way, you’re empowering them with hands-on experience they can then lean on to build trust in you and your product.
- Focus on quality over quantity: High-quality animations are crucial for your strategy, regardless of your industry vertical. Just one well-done animation can reflect your brand and significantly influence buyer perception much more than ten half-hearted attempts. So, invest in polished visuals, smooth motion, and a team that has the expertise you need.
- Plan with a clear script and storyboard: Pre-production planning isn’t the most glamorous part of 3D animation, but it’s a paramount step before setting design into motion. For your explainer and feature highlight animations, plan a well-crafted script and a detailed storyboard to make sure the video communicates the right message. With this, you’ll reduce costly revisions and keep the project aligned with broader marketing goals.
- Optimize for mobile viewing: Today, mobile phones are the go-to choice for shopping online worldwide. This tells us that all content should be mobile-friendly and look good on smaller screens. The same goes for your 3D product animations, i.e., the key details of your product should be visible and legible on small screens. Besides this, you should test your animations across various devices before launching them to confirm they load quickly, display correctly, and retain clarity.
FAQs
- How much does 3D animation for products cost?
- The cost of 3D product animation can vary widely based on complexity, style, and duration. The factors influencing the cost include scene complexity, character animation, resolution, and the number of revisions included. For a bespoke quote, get a free design consultation with our team, where we talk through your project and the work it’ll take to get you where you want to be.
- Can 3D animation be used for social media ads?
- Yes, 3D animation is a great choice for social media ads because it easily captures attention and stands out in crowded feeds. While 3D product animation is becoming more popular, it’s not in the mainstream yet, so very few businesses have the luxury of using it for advertising purposes. 3D formats are flexible, so we can adapt them to various aspect ratios so that they’re tailored to each platform’s requirements.
- What’s the difference between 2D and 3D animations in marketing?
- 2D animations use flat images and motion graphics to convey messages at a lower cost and with simpler production workflows, which works well for straightforward storytelling, infographics, and brand mascots. 3D animations, on the other hand, create depth and realism by rendering three-dimensional models that you can rotate and view from all angles, which makes them ideal for product visualization. If you want to showcase features, complex mechanisms, or lifelike demonstrations, you’ll benefit more from 3D design.
- What are the main benefits of using a 3D animated explainer video?
- 3D animated explainer videos can simplify complex products and processes through immersive visuals and clear storytelling. They can help you improve message retention, showcase your product from all angles, demonstrate safe steps, and highlight key features dynamically. In 2025, they’re a great and creative way to differentiate brands in competitive markets.
