From being a part of cozy Sunday childhood retreats to the cutthroat arenas of modern marketing, animation has come a long way. Today, there’s hardly a brand that doesn’t use animation in some form to achieve their marketing goals. And why not! It offers limitless creative freedom, costs less than hiring one-take divas, and is generally as effective in promoting engagement as any high-budget live-action ad!
In other words, there’s no debate that animation is one of the most effective mediums to amplify your brand voice. However, where the conflict lies are the different animation styles. While some brands will bet their money on 2D animation, others will swear there ain’t no video like a 3D video (see what we did there? ;)) The thing is, both aren’t wrong. Both animations have some inherent pros and cons, and it all comes down to using the right animation in the right place.
To give our statement more context, how about a side-by-side comparison?
What is 2D Animation?
Remember ‘Popeye the Sailor Man’ and ‘Snow White’? Or the hilarious chases of ‘Tom and Jerry’ that would make you nearly choke on your lunch? That’s 2D animation—flat characters moving in a flat space with layered stories that would stir your soul. It’s basically your childhood wrapped in a 2D space.
While the visuals of 2D animation have always been simple, its nostalgic factor combined with it being the main medium of some of the most awe-inspiring stories ever told in movie history has gained it an iconic status, still much appreciated by creatives and audiences in both the storytelling and marketing space.
Despite being the oldest form of animation, 2D hasn’t yet lost its charm, and continues to captivate audiences consistently across different platforms. Today, around 55% of businesses prefer 2D animation due to its effectiveness and clarity, with 70% of explainers produced in the same format.
The main reason for such relevance to 2D animation is its practicality for most businesses. 2D videos are comparatively cheaper to make, have smaller production times, and can convey just about any brand message through beautiful storytelling.
Nexmo’s Mixed Media Approach explainer video is one such example, where the creators add heart to tech with excellent 2D animation!
3D Animation
3D animation is a form of animation that features 3-dimensional characters and elements, unlike the flat ones in 2D. It’s a relatively advanced type of animation where the animators bring lifelike details to the video, making its applications far more diverse compared to 2D, where only storytelling takes the central stage.
Due to the incredible depth 3D brings to each frame, it’s extremely versatile, with practical use cases across a wide range of industries, ranging from architecture to electronics, medical, education, video games, and everything in between.
The best thing? 3D animation technology is rapidly evolving as we move forward, turning from just “cartoons into 3-dimensional space” to extreme realism, where each grain of footage is designed to imitate real life, posing as a reliable and budget-friendly alternative to live action. Plus, in animation, you are not limited by laws of physics, and neither will you need to deal with the unlimited headache of logistics, finances, locations, and more! So that’s another advantage.
2D vs 3D Animation: A Side-by-Side Comparison
Now that we have rather detailed definitions of both animation types, let’s draw a side comparison to make it easier for you to evaluate which one will work best for you based on your needs and requirements:
| Aspect | 2D Animation | 3D Animation |
|---|---|---|
| Visuals | Flat and clean, minimally stylized | Realistic and dynamic, more depth and immersiveness |
| Cost | Highly affordable and ideal for startups and small businesses | Higher production costs. Works good only for big businesses |
| Production time | Fast turnaround time | Longer production time |
| Best uses | Explainers, tutorials, internal communication, social media ads | Product demos, architectural visualization, brand films, high-end explainers |
| Flexibility | Easily tweaked and updated | Tweaks and updates are costly and time consuming |
| Audience Impact | Super friendly and engaging, making it easier to digest | Visually impressive and immersive, leaves a lasting impression |
| Tone | Friendly and warm | Bold and cinematic, although can be made friendly and warm |
| Viewer Retention | High for educational and explainer videos | High for emotional and cinematic storytelling, as well as practical demos |
| Brand Personality Fit | Works amazingly for new, playful, and light-hearted brands | Mainly appeals to high-end, tech and innovation driven brands |
| Ideal Platforms | Great for every platform | Great for every platform |
Types of Animated Videos and Where 2D or 3D Works Best
Now that we have established how 2D and 3D animation are both unique with their own strengths and weaknesses, let’s have a look at some of the most common types of animated videos used in marketing and the type of animation best suited for each:
Explainer video
Explainer videos are the kind of videos where a business basically explains what they do, why they do it, and why you should use their product or service. It’s simply a sales copy turned into video form, with the brand message turned into a story-like format supplemented by catchy visuals. Explainer videos are mostly used for ads.
Best suited animation: 2D due to its simplicity, affordability, and appeal.
Product demo
The name itself is pretty much self-explanatory. A product demo video showcases how a particular product works and how to use it. Product demos are often a little intricate compared to the usual marketing video dump, serving a more practical purpose than just evoking emotions with carefully crafted words.
Best suited animation: 3D animation due to its depth and realism.
Educational video
Educational videos are essentially short videos designed to teach your audience valuable information.
Such videos are not created to get direct sales. Their only goal is to provide genuine value through helpful information, and fostering genuine trust and loyalty among the target audience.
Best suited animation: 2D and collage animations for simple and general topics, 3D for practical demonstrations
Branding video
Branding video is the exact equivalent of aura farming; users are not bombarded with technicalities found in product demos and explainers.
It’s mostly just about introducing your team to your audience, the kind of work you are involved in, and your overall brand voice and messaging.
Best suited animation: Both 2D and 3D
Future-Proofing Your Content: Animation Trends 2025
As we move forward, the animation trends are going to evolve fast, especially with AI taking over. Given that creating generic animations today is just a few prompts away, winning the race of relevancy is totally coming down to trying fresh ideas and getting creative with your approach. Cookie-cutter animated videos will only do so much for you!
This is one of the reasons why we are seeing many brands bringing flexibility to their animated video campaigns, trying out new strategies to bring a fresh angle to their marketing. One such thing is the use of hybrid animation, where 2D and 3D animation are mixed to create a beautiful symphony of contrasting creative styles that readily intrigues the viewers.
Another popular strategy is shifting between 2D and 3D and hybrid animation. This prevents your content from being repetitive, and gives it a fresh angle with super unique visuals each timee. It makes you stand out.
Long story short, today, you’re competing in a market where everyone’s churning out content every living minute of the day. But here’s something that’ll make you happy:
The problem today is not the quantity of videos anymore. It’s purely the quality!
The moment you do something different, there’s a 99% chance that you’ll stand out between even a thousand competitors publishing their videos side by side. It could be due to the awesome story, unique visuals, or ideally, a combination of both.
Conclusion: Which Animation Style Is Right for You?
2D and 3D are two unique art forms, both bringing their own special qualities to the table. Where one is focused on affordability and versatility, the other offers visual realism and cinematic perfection. It’s not about whether one is better than the other. It’s about which one’s better for you.
For example, if you need a playful and light medium that conveys your message with clarity, 2D is a great option. However, if visual impact and realism are the only things that matter currently for your brand, then going for 3D would be the right thing to do..
Ask us, and we would say that both are awesome in their own right. You just need to use it the right way!
FAQs
What is the difference between 2D and 3D animation?
The only fundamental difference between 2D and 3D animation is depth. Where 2D animation offers flat visuals, 3D animation offers life-like visuals, where the characters and elements move in a 3 dimensional space.
Which is more cost-effective: 2D or 3D animation?
Generally, 2D animation is considered more cost-effective. The reason is simple. It’s easier to make, even easier to revise, and will cost you almost less than a half of 3D animation.
Which animation type is more engaging for marketing videos?
That depends! If we are talking about simple storytelling and explainers, 2D has been shown to generate more engagement. However, where complex products and services come in, 3D takes the lead.
Can I mix 2D and 3D in one video?
Yes! In that case, the animation would be called hybrid animation, where 3D elements are added to a 2D backdrop, or vice versa.
Which animation type is better for product visualization?
3D animation is usually preferred for product visualization due to the detail and realism it brings to each frame. While 2D animation can describe a product in creative ways, it simply cannot visualize it in the same detail.