The term ‘explainer video’ came into existence more than a decade ago. Think of it as a long form commercial, explainer video does the job of explaining about an idea, product, and service, or even educating people with any topic under the sun in 1 to 2 minutes.
It started to gain traction when brands realized that these videos have the potential to go viral, like the Dollar Shave Club explainer video. Since then, many brands and businesses around the world have flocked to make explainer videos as part of their marketing strategy to help boost their brand presence.
Read more: Top 15 Animated Music Videos That Blew Our Minds
Today, this type of video is still as relevant as it was a decade ago. Video marketing is an ever-growing industry and with millions of videos being uploaded online daily, explainer video is here to stay (comfortably!). According to Google, “For more and more shoppers, video is becoming indispensable when they’re ready to buy. In fact, more than 55% of shoppers globally say they use online video while actually shopping in-store.”
To stay ahead of the game, it is essential to watch out for the latest trends in explainer video production. Just like the fashion industry, video style evolves. So we’ve curated 25 amazing explainer video examples for you to take inspirations from for your next awesome project.
25 Explainer Video Examples You Need to See in 2026
1. Bo Burnham
This is not an explainer video produced for any businesses but it was adapted from the speech of Bo Burnham, an American comedian, musician, actor, filmmaker and poet lamenting about the generation’s obsession with having an ‘audience’ on social media.
Through the usage of primitive shapes and sleek transformations, the animation makes it much easier to digest the message, while keeping viewers engaged throughout. This is an example of effective communication done right with an explainer video.
2. Compass
Compass is software that helps construction companies organize and manage the early stages of a project. Based on the nature of the product and service, the creators turned their focus to visual creativity rather than traditional storytelling to drive maximum engagement.
Hence, they used collage animation — a slick and beautiful form of animation that gets the data across without overwhelming the viewer. The video effectively showcases the function, power, and purpose of the tool without getting into unnecessary details.
3. Reckon
Reckon engaged Vidico to produce a live action video to explain about their solution from their users’ point of view. Through witty and clever storytelling, each actor depicts the pains they faced as business owners and how Reckon’s accounting software has helped them in their businesses and their personal lives.
4. PayByCar
While the application itself didn’t quite sit well with the users due to flaws in its functionality, PaybyCar surely nailed it with their explainer video. It’s a 2D animation that relies on no dialogue throughout its length, yet it successfully manages to hit the pain spots, explain the target audience’s struggles, and present the app as a solution.
The video also takes help from some typography as well, but the visuals are pretty much self-explanatory. It’s the perfect example of visual storytelling and a good inspiration for any brand that provides simple services and has a simple brand message.
5. Upside
The script of the Upside video follows the copywriting playbook to the tee, beginning with the main problems, progressing with hitting pain points, and ending with a solution. However, where it really shines is the visuals.
Credited to the creative and technical prowess of the Kasra Design team, the video efficiently merges 2.5D animation with motion graphics, turning a dull topic into a visually appealing video that keeps the audience intrigued to the end — and that too without the inclusion of complementary story elements like humor, emotion, or drama. Just a clean, straight, minimalist explainer that explains well.
6. Soho House
This video is designed for Soho House, the exclusive member-only private club for people in the creative industries. What better way to talk about house rules to a bunch of creative people than a creative, well-executed animated explainer video?
7. Yapily
Sometimes, when a message does not need visuals to get its point across, visuals are used anyway to keep users gripped to the screen. As it happens, this explainer is simply one of those, leveraging the visual appeal of animation to get the viewer engaged as the brand shares its message.
The video uses 2D and 3D shapes shifting in size and form throughout that don’t always align with the words spoken, yet it works and looks great in the context of the overall piece.
8. TrueCar
This gorgeous piece of explainer video shows you the experience by the character, Ella in purchasing an SUV for herself on TrueCar, one of the largest new and used car platforms in the US.
9. ID Finance
The use of motion graphics has always been prevalent in explainer videos because they provide a lot of creative space for the creators to play in, along with their ability to explain even the most complicated topics.
In this video, InfoGraphik has taken advantage of all three of these qualities of motion graphics and combined them with a subtle use of traditional 2D to make a dynamic and visually striking explainer. Nothing’s overdone here.
10. Whatever You Call It
Death isn’t a delightful topic, but this 3D animated video surely makes it easier to start a conversation about death. By combining cute characters with a catchy tune, the message that the campaign wanted to deliver is definitely on point.
11. SendGrid – Next Era
2.5D animation, a good story, and a script that has just enough emotion in it to inspire action, SendGrid is one classical example of how to turn your explainer into a 1-minute video that has something of everything. The video features a protagonist, Olivia, who’s tangled in the stressful routine of an unmanageable workload and how SendGrid makes her life easier through automation.
Although strictly for a tech-marketing product, the video keeps its focus on the non-tech side of things, keeping emotions at the center of the narrative. The viewers are supposed to relate to the protagonist and actually visualize themselves in her place, which adds to the compelling element of the video.
12. Slack
If you’re not up to animated characters or real life actors, this is an approach that you should consider. This creative and conceptual 3D animation created for Slack tells you exactly what Slack can do for you, using simple yet powerful visuals through great storytelling.
13. Netflix – Farewell to DVDs
This one is simply Netflix doing Netflix things. The video demonstrates the shift of Netflix from DVDs to OTT, bidding farewell to disks. The overall theme of the whole video feels like a cut from a feel-good movie, having an overall positive vibe that really lifts your mood. There are no unnecessary frills going on here. Just a good 1-minute clip that really connects with Netflix’s target audience.
14. Microsoft – Abstract Family
This abstract 3D animation created for Microsoft tells a charming story about a family facing changes in their life.
The characters are narrated by different people, represented using simple shapes modeled in 3D. Creativity does come in all shapes. This is another great example of conceptual approach in explainer video.
15. Waze EOY
This video by BUCK for Waze, a satellite navigation software, combines traditional 2D animation with a strong script. The explainer relies on subtle storytelling integrated with a lot of valuable data that the target customers of the brand could be interested in.
It is more of an end-of-the-year report that highlights the impact that the company had in its respective domain. With just enough engagement and smooth use of data across the whole narrative, it’s an explainer that appeals to both customers and investors.
16. Community Futures
The team at Giant Ant turned a script for Community Futures into a cartoon with a well thought-out storyboard, superb colors and epic imagination.
The character in the animation walks through “a dystopian world full of dial up and fax machine repair shops” before discovering a new world with Community Future.
17. Thinkful
Thinkful is an online interactive platform that offers coding bootcamps in almost every area of coding. This explainer is more about explaining what Thinkful offers and how they differentiate from other such platforms.
The video makes use of 2D animation and motion graphics to present the brand’s message to the audience and simplify what they actually do. There’s nothing going over the top. Just a decent video with decent visuals that effectively does its job.
18. Costa Sunglasses – Save Florida’s Water
Costa Sunglasses teamed up with Giant Ant to produce an animated video to create awareness on Florida’s plight – to save Florida’s water. Mind-blowing storytelling done through done through gorgeous visuals and animation. It’s like you’re watching a movie.
19. Arrow Electronics
This is one of the five videos created for an ad campaign for Arrow Electronics by Coat of Arms. The explainer describes the aspirations of the company for the future, accompanied by impressive visuals that make use of a combination of 2D animation, 3D animation, and a little bit of something over the lines of abstract animation.
It’s just a 30-second-long display of how to inspire your audience without trying. Have a look at it yourself to understand why!
20. The School of Life
As a Vimeo Staff Pick “Best of the Month”, the “The Wisdom of Pessimism” designed for the School of Life exudes creativity, combining a mix of different animation techniques from cel to 3D animation to tell viewers how to become a good pessimist.
21. Visa AI
There’s a conception that once your explainer video crosses the 1-minute mark, your engagement is going to be on constant decline after that. And that’s true for the most part. However, where the topic requires elaborate explanation to make a true impact, you need to be willing to take the risk. Visa AI by Beyond Words is a good example of that.
The video jumps straight into the Whats, Whys, and Hows of the problem and in the end explains how VISA Ai helps to solve it effectively. The explainer is almost 3 minutes long, but no part of it is unnecessary.
22. MSVU – The Garden and The Farm
This exquisitely crafted animation created for Mount Saint Vincent University tells the story of two seeds, one grows in a garden and one grows in a farm. The seed in the farm did not sprout even though the farm was well equipped with good machines. The seed in the garden sprouted beautifully, becoming bigger and stronger than before simply because “sometimes the smallest gardens offer the greatest growth”. This is great storytelling done with cel animation techniques and stunning illustrations.
23. Michael Lewis – Cut-Out Animation
Cut-out animation is a great tool to tell a story or an experience. This video demonstrated a well executed cut-out animation by piecing together images, photos and illustrations to tell the story of Michael Lewis, a financial journalist, and bestselling non-fiction author.
24. Mayo Clinic – The Worry Stone
This video centers on an image of the character’s ‘worry stone’. Through simple line-based illustrations and lovely cel animation, the story revolves around how the ‘worry stone’ helped the character’s recovery in Mayo clinic.
25. Dash 4 Cash
This is one of the two videos created for a financial board game for kids aged 8-12 by Papaton Studio. The explainer blends playful 3D characters with real-world environments to create a short, unique, and eye-catching video using the magic of stop motion. It is then followed by a short clip of motion graphics for explanatory purposes.
The idea behind it was to capture attention immediately using the 3D character and then move to the main features of the product in the shortest duration possible. Guess what? The idea worked. ;)
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Conclusion
Explainer videos are still considered one of the most effective methods of storytelling in the digital arena. The finest examples of explainer videos convey how creativity, animation, and succinct messages can clarify complex ideas. From product explainer videos to a brand explainer video or other explainer video examples, each helps inform, engage, and inspire audiences across the spectrum.
As you consider explainer video examples, understand that being clear, using emotion, and having a visually engaging video are essential to effectiveness. Great examples of animated video or video animation do more than represent your brand’s identity, they cultivate trust with your audience and drive conversions. With these examples to guide you, create your story with all of the audience engagement we just mentioned. This story engages your audience on the personal level of its content and stays with them long after viewing.
Read more: Explainer Videos Have a Superpower in Brand Communication – Here’s Why
It started to gain traction when brands realized that these videos have the potential to go viral, like the Dollar Shave Club explainer video. Since then, many brands and businesses around the world have flocked to make explainer videos as part of their marketing strategy to help boost their brand presence. Learn more about Kasra Design and how our team helps global brands craft powerful explainer videos.
FAQ
What makes an explainer video example truly effective?
An effective explainer video example clearly communicates the message, keeps viewers engaged, and reflects the brand’s personality. The best explainer video examples use storytelling, motion design, and concise scripting to make complex ideas easy to understand.
How can product explainer video examples help my business?
Product explainer video examples show how to highlight product benefits and features in an engaging way. These videos help potential customers understand your offer quickly, improving conversions and brand trust.
What’s the difference between animated video examples and brand explainer videos?
Animated video examples focus on creativity and visual storytelling, while brand explainer videos emphasize your company’s identity, values, and tone. Combining both styles helps deliver a powerful and memorable message.
Where can I find simple explainer video examples for inspiration?
You can explore our collection of amazing explainer videos featuring creative video examples from leading brands. Each explainer video inspiration piece demonstrates how animation and design can simplify complex topics.
What are the key elements of a great explainer video?
A good explainer video consists of many key elements. First and foremost, its length should always be between the 60 and 120 second mark. Along with that, it should have a clear script, crisp visuals, and seamless, smooth animation. If your video has that, it’s already a great explainer video.
Do all explainer videos use animation?
Not necessarily. Explainer videos can be live action, animated, or even screencasts. It really comes down to what you think could get your point across effectively. However, since animation does the job perfectly most of the time, that’s why you might see it more than other video forms.
Can explainer videos boost my business’s conversion rates?
Using explainer videos in your marketing campaign can significantly increase your conversion rates due to their high engagement rate and ability to inspire your target audience to take action.