Put the two together, and BAM: kinetic typography means ‘moving text’. Pairing text and motion in this animation technique communicates ideas and encourages viewers’ emotional connections simplistically.

What are the benefits?

Kinetic typography can be a great route to take if you are looking to create evergreen content.

The text on screen is removed from specific date contexts that can often creep into other animation styles and, more prominently, live-action footage. For example, an explainer video referencing Covid-19 may not be applicable in five years despite its current relevance.

Kinetic typography is also a practical style choice due to its tendency to demand attention from viewers since they are required to read words to follow the narrative.

Kinetic Typography For Marketing

Keep Up (Honda)

This video by Honda represents a perfect example of how kinetic typography stimulates the viewer to pay attention.

The words appearing on-screen one at a time, coupled with an increase in pace as the ad progresses, pushing the viewers to their limits, in line with the advert’s core message, ‘to keep pushing and get faster.’

Honda beautifully tells the story of Honda most subtly, removing the focus from the product itself to encourage a more general concept surrounding personal challenge and goals, giving to the ad’s shareability. The campaign was initially to be used in the U.K. only. However, it sparked so much interest that it became a global phenomenon. Impressive, right? Who knew words could be so assertive?

Apple

Come on, how could we not include the software giants in our ad thread? As with all Apple ads, the focus of this video is to show off the products’ features. That being the case, indeed, kinetic typography could be seen as a risky distracting factor from the product itself?

Never. The use of typography is far from a distraction but an aiding enhancer. The text is oozing with personality and pops onto the screen quickly that you can almost hear someone narrating it. Exactly! There is no voiceover in this video… and the best part? We don’t miss it!

Mcdonalds

McDonalds released this ad during the Covid-19 pandemic. The typography is displayed in the brand’s own red and yellow colors. Accompanied by a delicately sensitive backing track, the combination connects McDonalds’ brand image to a short video when customer support was paramount. Our favorite aspect is the decision to keep ‘we can still be here to take your order’ static on the screen as the text above continues to roll.

Kinetic typography is an effective way to double impact. What is being said can be animated simultaneously in a most subtle yet engaging manner, hammering home the ‘we’ll be here’ core concept at the video’s purpose.

Kinetic Typography In Film & TV

The U.S. Office

Whether you are a watcher of the U.S. Office or not, it’s not difficult to see the creative genius behind this fan-made video. Created by a motion graphics artist, Stepdraw, the animation takes an iconic scene from the show and reinvents it with kinetic typography, matching words and drawings to the voiceover semantically.

Breaking Bad

Graphic designer, illustrator and animator, and self-acclaimed Breaking Bad mega-fan, Paul Cooper decided to pay homage to the infamous scene using kinetic typography.

He visualizes the intense scene through a series of black and white illustrations and text, all cleverly timed to each character’s lines. The use of bubble images and smooth transitions highlights the conversation between the two characters in this heated is particularly effective as the feelings interrupt and talk over one another.

Catch Me If You Can

Movie opening credits are often places where you would find typography animation since it can be a great way of grabbing the audience’s attention via telling a story before the story. Through clever manipulation of the line art, the actors’ names with the props from the story are paired.

Kinetic Typography For Emotional Impact

Perfect – Ed Sheeran

As with movie opening credits, it is often the case that typography finds its way into official lyric music videos. Ed Sheeran’s Perfect is a song we all recognize as a romantic piece of artwork, and to many is dedicated to an individual in their life whom they have strong feelings for. That said, the typography must be used effectively to pull the heartstrings of the audience. It is no doubt that this video does just that.

Kid President Peptalk (Taylor English)

Robby Novak, aka Kid President, is a young, motivational speaker character created by his older brother-in-law, Brad Montague.

The kinetic typography text in this video helps to emphasize the passion and fire in Robby’s voice as he talks. Particular sections of the ‘pep-talk that lend to emotion are highlighted in bold and made bigger.

The use of icons is semantically matched with the text as it appears on the screen. This not only aids the storytelling but does so in a childlike manner that matches the voiceover to intensify the popular character behind the video.

Childline

It can be an extreme challenge to discuss taboo topics. This video uses kinetic typography to combat a delicate subject tastefully.

The typography segregates for each speaking part and works hard to highlight the child’s emotions in a tender way likely to resonate with any child who has experienced abuse.

In times of anxiety, the text sticks to the screen like bubble gum, and in times of embarrassment and fear, the words ripple into nothingness. These semantic animations help children understand their feelings and normal feelings in a situation such as this.

Comparatively, as the councilor speaks, the scene remains calm, collected, and measured to convey that the child is talking to a trusted adult who is keen to help.

This Childline video showcases the vast diversity of kinetic typography and its effectiveness in depicting emotions.

Marie Curie

This video by Marie Curie was a campaign created in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The kinetic typography in this video is subtle and small with little animation support – but it works.

Including innocuous text paradoxically adds to the influence of a campaign that aims to emotionally connect with an audience who are all feeling the impact of the words on the screen. It is not often that an establishment can interact with the majority of watchers in the same way; thus, the humble nature of the text works in this instance.

Wrapping Up

Kinetic typography is a traditional animation technique that can find its place across a variety of mediums and genres. Its versatility means not only this but that it can appeal to a vast audience demographic and inspire the masses. Typography is an emphasis on keeping it simple and having a huge impact.

Looking for ways to spice up your video marketing strategy? Contact us at Animation Explainers to find out more.